Storms of Reality
by Watashi wa Kosaku
Summary: *CHAPTER 3 ADDED* 7/28/09 Seiji reflects on his relationship with Rowen; Mia calls Ryo with an ominous warning; the enemy reveals himself through Kento.
1. The Storms of Reality

Storms of Reality (Version 2.2)

Original Ronin Warriors Fanfiction by KC.

As always, the Characters belong to their creators and not to me… regretfully…

xxxxx

Everything had started on that evening in May, when the five of them had gone to Stella's for some karaoke and heavy boozing. Seiji and Rowen, having already gotten pretty drunk, were center stage, belting out a terrible rendition of 'Hot Limit'. Ryo had slammed down far too many shots already and had been occupying the bathroom for the past twenty minutes. Kento was trying (unsuccessfully) to get a girl's number while completely intoxicated…

Then there was Sai, who sat by himself at the bar, nursing a rum and coke. He hadn't even wanted to go out on this little late night excursion. He'd tried every excuse to get out of it; 'I'm too tired.', 'I have so much to do around the house'; But in the end, it was Rowen and those blasted puppy dog eyes that had finally convinced him. He looked up at the blue-haired boy, who was clad in an open, somewhat translucent light blue button down. Glitter was sticking to every visible inch of his skin, little sparkles of light giving the boy a sort of ethereal look; Ironic, considering he was the former warrior of Strata.

Rowen was utterly enjoying himself, both hands on the microphone, nose-to-nose with Seiji who sang along with him, both eyes closed beneath his mass of blonde hair. Rowen looked intently into the other boy's face, as if any moment he might lean forward and steal a kiss… The thought depressed him, and Sai looked away from the other two, decidedly resting his head in an open palm, propped up on his elbow.

He swirled his half-emptied drink about in its glass. The battle with Talpa was over. He thought the idea of a peaceful existence uninhibited by war or chaos would be pleasant; but instead he felt useless; pathetic even. While everyone else seemed to be enjoying their downtime, he was plagued by nightmares and an overwhelming feeling of foreboding. He looked down at his hands, pale and shaky as they were. He wondered if his dreams were prophetic. The scent of blood that he'd been waking up to had seemed real enough. And the images that filled his head while he slept; images of Blood spray, death, and darkness… It was all so life-like…

" Don't look so down in th' mouth!" Rowen grinned, hugging the Brit fiercely from behind. Sai jumped in response, turning his head slightly towards the other, so that Rowen's bangs brushed up against his nose.

"I'm not. I was just thinking is all…" The Brit shook his head lightly, turning back towards the bar. " I saw your little performance."

" Yea?!" Rowen beamed. " What didya think? Me an' Seiji're thinking' of hittin' the road, goin' on tour…" Rowen grinned that stupid little grin of his, which brought a wisp of a smile to Sai's face.

" I think you're both quite mad." Sai joked, taking a sip of his drink. Rowen faked a scowl, hopping onto the bar top aside of Sai. He poked the other in the nose.

" I think yer jus' jealous of our impending success!"

" You're so full of yourself." Sai shoved the other boy's arm, causing him to teeter on the bar top for a moment.

" Hey now!" Rowen stood, pointing at Sai accusingly. " No need to get violent!" Sai rolled his eyes before patting his pockets for his keys and heading towards the door. " Heeeeeeeey, where ya goin'?" Rowen called after the Brit. " Ya didn't finish yer li'l drinkie!"

" I'm driving, remember? " Sai took a glance over his shoulder. Rowen was pouting by the bar top, wiggling Sai's drink about in his hand. Sai sort of liked the way Rowen acted when he was drunk. Boyishly cute and affectionate… at least towards the Brit, anyway. He was always hugging Sai, sleeping on him… just paying more attention to him in general, and Sai enjoyed it. Especially now; the look Rowen was giving him; the sheer perfection of the other's lithe body; the way little beads of sweat trickled down his bare chest…

Sai shook his head, blaming his sudden burst of arousal on the booze he'd consumed, ( All three sips of it.) as he headed towards the door again.

" Round the other's up and meet me by the car. I'm ready to leave." And with that, he was gone without looking back. Rowen followed after the other with his eyes, setting the half consumed drink down with a puzzled sort of look on his face.

" Sure, no problem…"

xxxxx

The rain was terrible that day. It continuously pelted the windshield of the jeep, pushed back only momentarily by the wipers. Sai sighed, trying his best to maintain eye contact with the road, whilst not becoming distracted by his rowdy passengers.

"And that's how Judy Garland became a smack addict." Seiji stated matter-of-factly from the backseat. Rowen grinned, half amusement, half feigned-awe.

"That's a wonderful story!" The blue-haired boy declared, gleefully intoxicated.

" You two are ridiculous…" Sai rolled his eyes. Seiji had been telling folklores (Or so he called them) to an entranced Rowen the whole ride home. Ryo was already asleep in the front seat, and Kento looked as though he would soon follow suit, nauseously leaning towards his open window despite the rain.

"Next: The tale of how KD Lang became a lesbian…" Seiji said in all seriousness. Rowen erupted into laughter, punching Seiji in the arm.

" KD Lang is not a lesbian! Lesbians just like her is all."

"Oh, on the contrary, my li'l drunken buddy. It all started whe-"

" Would you two shut the fuck up? Damn.." Kento groaned, leaning a little closer towards his window. Sai slid to a stop at a red light before turning around to glance at Hardrock's blessed.

"Kento, are you alright?" In response, Kento vomited from the window before resting back comfortably in his seat. Seiji was in hysterics.

"Oh, right! The 'one beer-queer' needs silence to suppress his nausea!"

"Fuck you. I ain't a queer."

" Leave him alone. He's feeling sick because he drank so much." Sai scolded Seiji and Rowen, impatiently waiting for the light to change.

" An' fuck you, too. I could drink more If I wanted to! More than you ever could! You couldn't even drink ONE."

"I told you, I wasn't feeling we-"

"Besides, you're the queer. I saw you jerking off to Rowen the other day when he was washing his car!"

Sai felt his breath get caught in his chest. He was almost afraid to exhale, murmuring a little, "K-kento…" Seiji and Rowen stopped laughing.

" Yea, you liked that bare wet boy chest, didn't you? Fuckin' faggot."

" Kento, shut th' fuck up!!" That was Rowen. The sound was loud, almost deafening in the enclosed space of the jeep. The light had turned green and Sai was unable to move at first. A few honking horns behind him brought his focus back and he stepped on the gas.

" Kento… Why would you say such an awful thing…?"

" He's out cold." Seiji noted. Sai looked back and Kento was, much like Ryo, out cold. He met Rowen's gaze for a moment, who held it for only a second before looking out the window into the dark of night. Sai sighed, turning back around. All the jubilance of the night seemed to vanish without a trace.

"We should be home in a few minutes." Sai said, not really expecting a response of the two remaining conscious passengers. His voice seemed to be the only other sound in the car save for the rain and the sound of his own heart beating wildly.

xxxxx

_Why would you say something like that? To SAI of all people?_

_He was sayin' tha-_

_He was looking out for __**your**__ best interest and you had to be an asshole! Just go th' fuck to bed!_

Sai could hear Rowen yelling at Kento from his position in the bathroom upstairs. The argument was followed by the sound of heavy footsteps climbing the stairs, (probably Kento's) and the sound of Kento's door opening and then slamming shut. He sighed then, leaning his back against the bathroom door, knees draw up to his chest.

_Fuckin' faggot…_

It was all true. When Sai had spotted Rowen outside washing his car, It was almost as if he had suddenly become possessed. His lust had become insatiable. Kento had walked in and nearly spotted him… though it had been obvious what he had been doing anyway.

Sai had never been a voyeur; always the polite, reliable one with no hidden flaws or carnal urges… or so it had seemed. He absently wondered if something was wrong with him. His arousal had been more or less like a light switch as of late. He seemed to lose gaps of time with no realization. He had become increasingly irritable and impatient. He thought that maybe the consistent rain, being surrounded by his element, had something to do with these odd behaviors. He didn't much like the idea of insanity.

Sai looked up to the skylight, past the expanse of moon and rain littered evening sky. More pressing then insanity was Rowen.

"He can't even look at me now…" Sai rest his head upon his knees, biting down on his lip in an attempt to disrupt the tears he could feel welling up. He loved Rowen of Strata; had for some time. Of course, none of the others were really aware of the Brit's sexuality. And to have it exposed so casually…

He reached to his razor which rest on the bathroom sink, giving it a glance over. Deft fingertips picked it up, studied it for a moment before he snapped off the casing and removed the blade.

" If I…" He spoke softly to himself while rolling up his sleeve, pressing the blade down into the skin of his wrist, still tacky with rain water. " If I could just…" He dragged the blade across his arm, deep enough to be slightly more than superficial, but not enough to slice vein. It emitted only a dull throb. Sai seemed to be captivated by the flow of crimson as it made it's way down to the crook of his elbow. He pondered his own mortality then, something he'd only recently begun to think about. Could he ever really do it? Could he ever really make that cut deep enough to end the restless days of his current existence?

"Sai? Are you in there?" Rowen knocked on the door, and Sai jumped, having momentarily forgotten where he was.

" I-I'll be right out." He thrust his sleeve back down, thankful that he had chosen to wear black. He threw the blade and casing into the garbage, making sure it was deep enough that no one would take any notice. Then he flushed the toilet to avoid arousing any suspicion before unlocking the bathroom door and coming face to face with Rowen.

" You've been crying.." Rowen said, brushing his fingertip beneath each of Sai's eyes to clear out the moisture that had collected there. " Are you alright?"

The Brit could feel that tension building steadily in his groin. How had it come to this? To this frenzied, almost constant state of arousal? He brushed past Rowen in an attempt to conceal the swelling in his nether region, heading straight for his room. " Sure, I'm fine. I think I just need a little sleep is a-"

"Wait." The blue-haired boy grabbed him by the arm, pulling him back so that Sai rested comfortably against his chest. Of course, he had grabbed his arm in the precise place he had mutilated himself, and he winced in response, feebly trying to pull his arm away from Rowen. Strata's blessed didn't seem to notice this and continued on, lightly rubbing the other's back. " I just wanted you to know that I'm here for you, okay? Forget about what Kento said, th' jerk."

Sai could feel his breathing quickening; the pounding sensation within his head growing fiercer. His vision grew blurry and he was disoriented without really knowing why. In a way, he felt like he was fighting to maintain control of himself. He wanted so badly to tell the other that he feared something could be wrong with him, but his need for release was far more pressing. To avoid the situation in its entirety, he pulled away from Rowen, heading towards his room again.

" I'll keep that in mind. Good night, Rowen."

It was just like it was at the bar. Rowen followed the other into his room with his eyes in silent contemplation. On the other side of the door, Sai wrapped his arms about himself, waiting for his heavy breathing to subside.

"M-Maybe I just need sleep is all.."

He hoped that was the case. He PRAYED that was the case. It seemed as though each day he'd have less control over himself, and that thought scared him. Regaining his composure, he stripped his shirt off and crawled beneath his covers, staring up at the ceiling, soothed by the sound of the rain hitting the roof top.

" I'm just overreacting. Things will be alright in the morning."

And with that hopeful little mantra, he closed his eyes and let consciousness give way to oblivion.

xxxxx

" Sai of Torrent.."

He awoke in darkness.

" H-Hello?" The Brit reached his hands out blindly and grabbed nothing. He felt weightless, as though he were floating in midair. This was pure darkness, so intense that he couldn't see his hands in front of his face.

" The storm grows violent before the sky clears and the storm dies. This is your destiny."

" Excuse me..? Who are you?" He continued to reach out blindly, but there was only darkness; nothing tangible.

" An incredible rage builds inside of you, becoming stronger as the days pass. Soon the time will come for you to awaken."

" Rage…? Awakening? You speak nonsense."

"The Apocalypse is at hand and you will be the one to set it in motion with bloodstained hands."

" And this is the 'destiny' you've conjured up for me? Well you're wrong! I'd never…!" Sai paused. Something wasn't quite right. His hands suddenly seemed as though they were wet and he shook them in an attempt to dry them, sending little droplets of moisture flying from his fingertips. Even so, that wet feeling remained. He shook his hands again, little droplets catching on his face, his hair, his lips… and that's when he caught the scent of blood.

"Wake up…" The voice beckoned, strong at first, then softer, over and over again. Sai covered his ears and hunched over. He was barely able to hear the voice over the sound of his own screaming.

"Wake…-"

xxxxx

" -up! Come on, Sai, Wake up!!" And just like that, Sai's screaming subsided and the darkness dispersed. He was disoriented for a minute or two before he was able to recognize the sights of his own room. He could feel arms tight about him, warm skin against his own. He could sense Rowen all around him, but more noticeable than that was the scent of blood that still clung to his senses.

"Rowen…" His arms instinctively tightened about the other boy as he sobbed pathetically.

"Shh, It's alright. You're okay now.." Sai, comforted, pulled away from Rowen enough so that he was able to catch a glimpse of the boy's face. Thick streaks of blood were smeared across his cheeks, his chest, his arms, little speckles of it caught in his hair; the deep red color made his face very prominent; a face that was still white with worry.

" Oh my God…! Rowen! What happened to you?! What did I…" He reached a shaky hand to the boy's face.

"No, I'm alright." Rowen placed his hand atop of the Brit's. " You didn't do anything to hurt me. This blood is…"

It was then that Sai noticed the sharp little pains all over his body… It was his own blood. And not only were he and Rowen covered in it, the entire room looked much like the set of a murder mystery. Blood had gotten on the lampshade and sent splotches of darkness about the walls. The bed sheets, once yellow, were now a sickly Red-brown.

"You wouldn't stop screaming." Rowen pulled the Brit against him in a fierce hug. "I kept shaking you, calling to you, and you just kept screaming…"

"Yea, you scared the hell out of both us." Sai finally noticed Seiji standing in the doorway. His hair was disheveled, as though he had just been roused from a deep sleep. " You're lucky Kento and Ryo drank so much, or you'd have all of us here freaking out…"

"What were you dreaming about?" Rowen asked Sai, lightly running his fingertips along his back.

"I… I can't really recall." He clenched his eyes shut, trying his hardest to remember. " All I can remember was a deep darkness…"

" Well, whatever it was, it must've been awful to have you looking like THAT. Are you gonna be alright?" That was Seiji again, yawning and scratching at the back of his head.

" Yes… Yes, I'm fine now."

" I'll sleep with you tonight, just to be on the safe side." That was Rowen. " Why don't you go take a shower. I'll clean this mess up."

"Alright." Sai replied, feebly standing from the bed with Rowen's careful assistance.

"So, am I free to go?" Seiji yawned again.

"Go ahead. PLEASE get your beauty sleep."

"Ah, funny. " Seiji replied to Rowen's little joke listlessly. "Oh, and Sai?

"Yes?"

"Take care of those wounds. You look like hell."

xxxxx

Rowen had treated Sai's wounds before heading off to shower himself. The running count was 47 slashes, but that also included the one that Sai had made earlier, so he supposed the count was more like 46.

But how had it happened, he wondered. Had he mutilated himself in his sleep? No… That didn't seem right.. But he couldn't find another logical explanation. Sai finished towel drying his hair, sighing softly as he gazed out the window. Lightning cracked and the rain pounded harder against the roof.

"It hasn't let up in three days." Rowen said as he walked in, clad only in pajama bottoms. Looney tunes; a tribute to Rowen's almost obsessive love of cartoons. Sai noticed little beads of water trickling down the side of the other's neck, down his chest, and felt himself shudder, his body responding to the image. This feeling was only intensified when the blue-haired boy plopped down on his bed.

"Well, come over here." Rowen called over to the Brit who, hesitating only a moment, complied, hopping into bed aside of him. Rowen flicked the lamp off and covered the two of them with the fresh new blankets he'd found in Sai's closet. They lay there in silence, side by side for a moment, and Sai was content just to hear the other's breathing.

" Rowen?"

"Hm?" was Rowen's muffled response.

"I'm really sorry if I worried you tonight…!" Suddenly he could feel Rowen's arms slip around his waist. He could feel the other's bare chest upon his back.

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're alright." Silence again.

"You must still be drunk." Sai said flatly.

"What do you mean by that?"

" I mean… Doesn't this make you uncomfortable?"

Rowen laughed deep in his chest then, and Sai fought back against the urge to giggle at the vibrations. " No. You're warm; it's kinda nice."

"Oh… I was just…. I mean, with what Kento had said earlier…"

"I don't care about any of that." Rowen replied, running his fingers along Sai's back. " Besides, I'm glad you think so highly of me."

Sai blushed. " H-hey, I didn't say that I was really mastu-"

"Because I think pretty highly of you, too." Rowen cut him off, placing a kiss on the back of the Brit's head. Sai's blush grew deeper.

"Now I know you're still drunk…"

"Just shut up and go to sleep." Rowen nuzzled against the older boy, breathing evening out after only a few minutes. Sai had thought that sleep wouldn't come to him; that worry over his unidentified wounds and his blasted uncontrollable lust would keep him awake. But the thought that Rowen was beside him comforted him. He closed his eyes, and soon his breathing evened out as well, and the two slept together, uninhibited by nightmares or illusions of darkness.

xxxxx

The Brit awoke the next day, startled and disoriented, with the sound of the rain pounding against the roof and on the windows. His breathing was heavy, his whole body was shaking and he wasn't exactly sure why. The alarm clock on the nightstand read 10:17 a.m.

"Morning already…" He mused, absently noting how dim and grey the sky was. He looked aside of him to Rowen, who slept peacefully, one arm draped over the side of the bed, the other resting on his exposed chest. His head was tilted slightly towards Sai, lips parted, chest rising and falling with even breaths.

"He stayed with me all night…" Sai noted, not sure whether to feel happy or guilty. He dismissed the act as Rowen fulfilling a duty to a comrade rather than staying of his own volition, but then again…

_Because I'm pretty fond of you, too…_

Sai stared at the other for a minute, pushing a few blue bangs away from his eyes, which were still closed softly in his deep sleep. Maybe. Just maybe…

A heavy bout of arousal hit Sai then, worse than any he'd encountered in the past few days, and he rolled out of bed quickly, tripping over the blanket and falling onto his knees. He whimpered a little, having completely forgotten about his unexplained injuries. Even so, the tightening in his groin still exceeded any amount of pain he felt, and he wanted to curse out loud in an attempt to will it away. It wasn't natural, this frenzied, violent need for immediate release. It was as if something dark was trying to escape from deep within him, no matter how hard he tried to suppress it.

He heard a yawn from behind him, followed by, "Clumsy. Tripping over your own two feet.." Rowen rubbed at his midnight blue eyes, trying to rouse himself from sleep.

" I'm sorry.. I woke you up." Sai apologized, rising to his feet and heading out of the room.

"Where are you going? It's still early yet." Rowen patted the bed aside of him, draping an arm over his head to allow the other room to slide in. " Come back to bed.."

" N-no, It's alright.." Sai stammered, still facing towards the hallway to hide the shameful rise of his manhood. " I had better start breakfast. You know how Kento gets in the morning."

Rowen laughed at the visualization that followed, nodding his head and rolling onto his side. "You're right. Carry on." He closed his eyes, intending on drowsing a bit longer. Relieved, Sai left the room, slumping down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"I'm such a mess…" He muttered to himself, He had thought that perhaps sleep would alleviate his odd ailment, but instead his symptoms seemed to have worsened, and he hated it. He tried his best not to think about it as the electric buzz of the radio in the kitchen was within earshot.

…_chance of storms 90 . Heavy Flooding has already occurred in Kyoto and Nagasaki, as well as Tokyo and the District of Nerima. Drivers are advised to use caution when on the road. It's recommended to limit car travel as much as possible until the storm passes…_

As Sai stood in the doorway to the kitchen, he paused, hearing idle conversation above the radio.

"I can't take much more of this weather…" Ryo sneezed, cradling his aching head. He silently vowed never to drink again. " I can't seem to get warm."

" Well you better get over that real quick." Seiji poked the dark-haired boy in the forehead before pouring himself a cup of coffee. " You and me are on grocery duty today, given the circumstances."

"You mean Sai.. Hey, pour me a cup." Seiji obliged, pouring Ryo a cup before setting the coffee pot back on the warmer. " What happened anyway? Did he try to kill himself?"

"Sorry, nothing so dramatic. At least I don't think so." Seiji took a swig of the coffee. Black, of course. " Besides, there was no knife or anything that we could find. It was the damndest thing… Sort of like stigmata."

"That seems highly unlikely." Ryo said flatly, dumping half the sugar dispenser into his coffee. "Creamer, please."

Seiji quirked an eyebrow. " Some coffee with your sugar, perhaps?" The blonde boy handed the creamer dish to Ryo.

"Shut up." Ryo muttered in response, spooning creamer into his coffee with one hand, still cradling his head with the other. " Maybe he just scratched himself or something like that."

"Maybe." Seiji pondered that with his eyes closed, leaning against the countertop with his ankles crossed. " I don't know… the way he was screaming…"

Tiring of being the center of conversation, Sai walked in then, trying his best to seem oblivious as to what the other two were talking about. "Good Morning Seiji, Ryo." He went straight for the coffee pot, pouring himself a mug.

"Morning, Sai." Ryo sat up then, stirring perhaps the world's whitest coffee ever. He looked up from beneath his bangs, quickly stealing a look at Sai. He had bandages on his arms, his face; on his feet even. So much for his whole scratching himself theory…

Seiji placed a hand atop Sai's head, tousling his hair a little. "Morning, buddy. Sleep well?"

"Yes, fine thank you." His reply was short and without the typical enthusiasm that Seiji was accustomed to. He brought his hand back towards his coffee and took a sip, glancing at Sai in quiet contemplation.

Sai was too busy stirring a spoonful of creamer into his coffee to notice the other boy's intense stare upon him. "I came down to make some breakfast. What would you like?"

"Oh! None for us, thanks. Me and Ryo are gonna stop at the Aangan for breakfast, then hit up the grocery store."

"In this weather? Perhaps you should wait for the rain to stop."

"Tried that. And four days later, here we are."

"Alright then. Just be careful." Sai fished a frying pan out from the cabinet underneath the stove and placed it on a burner. As he headed over to the fridge to pull out some eggs and butter, Kento slumped into the kitchen looking almost worse than Sai.

" Damn, my fuckin' head.."

Seiji grinned, pointing accusingly at Kento. "A hangover is God's way of saying you're a total dickhead."

Ryo laughed at that, and immediately wished he hadn't. "Please Seiji, no humor. My head can't take it."

"Tch. Fine." He finished off his coffee, placing the empty mug in the sink. "You ready to go yet?"

"Uh… Yea, sure. Let me throw some shoes on and I'll meet you in the car."

Seiji looked over to Ryo skeptically. The dark-haired boy was clad in an oversized T-shirt advocating 'saving the whales' with plaid polyester Pajama bottoms. "Just shoes?"

Ryo rolled his eyes, chugging the rest of his coffee, lapping up the melted sugar that had collected at the bottom. "Okay, I'll meet you in the car after a complete wardrobe change. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic." The blonde boy replied, glancing back and forth between Kento and Sai. Neither of them seemed to be acknowledging the others presence. He shot Ryo a look, who merely shrugged in response before heading upstairs to change. Seiji remained in the kitchen, tapping his fingertips on the countertop. "So… Crazy weather we've been having."

Sai mumbled some kind of agreement, and Kento rest with his head on the table, apparently experiencing too much of a headache to dignify Seiji's comment with a response. Instead, he said, "Sai, could you make me breakfast?"

"Make it yourself." Sai responded curtly, frying up some eggs without even giving a backwards glance.

"Why? You're already standing there." Kento responded with a bit of venom in his voice. Not smart, considering how Sai still seemed upset from the night before.

" Don't take that tone with me. After what you did?" Sai had stopped moving then, hands resting on the counter top. He was shaking; so badly that even Seiji took notice. The blonde boy assumed that Sai was angrier than he had ever been and that was why he was shaking, when in fact Sai was experiencing that strange feeling again.; that feeling of fighting for control of himself.

"What the hell are you talking about? I haven't done shit to you." Kento replied flatly, with a bit of annoyance.

What happened next was the craziest thing Seiji had ever witnessed in his entire life. Sai, moving at lightening speed, had grabbed the coffee pot from the warmer and smashed it on the table in front of Kento. Coffee and glass fragments went flying everywhere. Kento was burned by the coffee that pooled around his arms and poured into his lap, but wasn't able to do anything about it. Sai was forcing him against the back of the chair with a section of the shattered coffee pot against his throat. His eyes, normally peaceful and ambivalent, flared in anger. He'd gone from docile to killer in mere seconds. "Are you saying you don't remember?! Are you saying you can't even slightly recall nearly ruining my life?! Come on! Say it again, I dare you." He pressed the piece a little harder against Kento's neck.

Hardrock was taken aback. He couldn't risk shaking the other off with that glass shard pressing into his jugular. He was too afraid to say anything for fear of enraging Sai any further. He was at a complete loss. Luckily, Seiji was there to break up the fray.

"Sai! Stop it!!" He reached for the Brit, but it wasn't necessary. Sai threw the piece of glass to the floor the minute Seiji's hand touched his shoulder.

"Forget it." He said coldly, pushing Seiji's arm off of him as he rushed out of the room, past a confused Ryo who had come running downstairs (With only one sock on, I might add) at the sound of the coffeepot smashing.

Ryo took in the view then. Coffee and glass everywhere, a surprised Seiji, a Kento who looked like he had just narrowly avoided death… "What the hell just happened?"

Seiji would've liked to answer, but wasn't entirely sure himself. Instead, he walked over to the stove and turned it off. "Why don't you put on your other sock, grab your shoes, and we'll talk about it in the car."

Ryo nodded and headed back upstairs in a daze. Seiji glanced around at the mess before looking at Kento, who gazed off into space with that same look of fear on his face. "Hey Kento, breakfast is ready." He was referring to the eggs that were still sizzling in the pan. "And when you're done, can you clean up a little? This place is a mess."

xxxxx

"Sai of Torrent…"

Sai once again awoke in darkness.

"Why do you keep calling me?" He asked, his voice wavering. "I told you that I don't wish to have any part in your apocalypse, now stop tormenting me."

"But it's not that simple." The voice said calmly from somewhere in the void. "It's already begun. You have already awakened. The five seals are as good as broken."

"Five seals?" Sai questioned. "What are you talking about? None of this makes any sense!"

" It will soon enough." The voice responded. "When the five seals are broken, I can recreate this world to my liking. And it will all be thanks to your efforts. I really can't thank you enough."

"Don't bother thanking me. I won't help."

"Ah, but you will. It's your destiny."

"How can you say something is preordained like that? Don't we, as human beings, have the power to forge our own destinies?!" He didn't receive an answer. Only a vision. He saw Kento lying on the floor. Blood was pouring from his mouth. He looked as though he was trying to scream, but no sound escaped him. The image played across Sai's mind for a moment or two before disappearing. "Kento…"

"Humans are weak." The voice said after a moment of silence. "Weak and easily manipulated. They have doubts; they have fears; and above all, they are inherently evil. Remember that. You can't fight your destiny." The voice faded, and Sai could feel the darkness begin to lift from around him.

"W-wait!! Are you saying I'm destined to kill Kento?! I won't believe it! I WILL forge my own path! I will…!"

Before the darkness dispersed, Sai could feel himself growing tired. No, that wasn't quite it. It felt as though only a part of him grew tired and wanted nothing more than to sleep…

xxxxx

His eyes opened. "I am awake."

xxxxx

" Don't hit that squirrel!!" Ryo yelled, covering his eyes from where he sat in the passenger's seat. Seiji sighed, easily swerving out of the way of the aforementioned squirrel, which was more like a really blurry squiggle through the rain that collected on the windshield. The windshield wipers were next to useless and Seiji was beginning to think this was a bad idea after all.

"There. I risked certain death so that Ms. Squirrel could go home to her children. Satisfied?"

"Yea. She could've been a single mother, you know."

"…Whatever." Seiji rolled his eyes, focusing intently on the road, which was barely visible through the sheets of rain that pelted the windshield. This weather was terrible. Four days in and it hadn't let up for even a second. He hoped that this market excursion wouldn't take long, for fear of the flood waters rising any further.

"Hey Seiji?"

"Yea?" He responded, only half listening.

"Do you think maybe something's wrong with him?" Ryo asked, looking out the passenger's side window, but not really seeing anything save for colorful blurs.

"You're talking about Sai, I assume."

"Yea." He paused for a second. "He's never raised his voice at any of us before. And from what you told me, it sounded like he was really going to kill Kento."

"It looked that way. But you know Sai. He'd never do anything like that. Kento really upset him yesterday. Maybe that was his way of getting revenge; scaring the crap out of him, you know?"

"Yea, maybe… It just doesn't make much sense to me. And all those wounds he had… Maybe he needs professional help."

"Are you going to be the one to tell him that?" Seiji responded flatly.

"No, I guess not… But what if something is seriously wrong? What if he does something-"

"Listen, Ryo. Maybe there is something wrong with him. But I trust him enough to tell us if he needs our help. Maybe he's just sorting through some tough issues right now and this is his way of dealing with it. Who knows. But I'm sure when he gets his shit together, he'll talk to us. He always does."

"Yea, I guess you're right… Hey, when did you get to be so smart about this kinda thing?"

"I'm more than just a pretty face, you know."

Ryo looked at Seiji skeptically. "Uh-huh. And here I thought you were just another dumb blonde."

"Do you want me to stop this car? 'Cause I'll do it."

"Sorry, I take it back!" Ryo laughed at the way Seiji mocked anger, furrowing his brow in an attempt to look threatening. "So when do you think we'll be back home?"

"Maybe in an hour or two. Just stay on squirrel patrol until then, okay?"

"Yessir!"

xxxxx

Sai stood at the sink in the kitchen, washing dishes without really knowing why or how he had gotten there. Last he remembered he was frying eggs and there was still a bit of grey daylight lighting up the house. Now he worked by candlelight, which was also strange, considering he didn't remember the power going out. Lightening flared and Sai watched it, setting down the glass he had apparently been washing. How many hours had he lost this time?

"Rowen went to the mall after he woke up. You were still sleeping, and he didn't want to wake you. Oh, and Ryo and Seiji are still at the grocery store."

That was Kento. Sai turned around, mumbling a feeble, "Huh?" Hardrock's blessed was at the table, eating a bowl of what appeared to be ramen.

"You asked me if anyone else was around." He slurped up a couple of noodles before turning to face Sai. "Hey, you're not still mad at me are you? You're being pretty quiet."

Sai had a confused look on his face. Had he been talking to Kento this whole time? And why was he filled with dread every time Kento ate another bite of that Ramen… "N-no, not mad… Did you make that ramen yourself?" There was something wrong… But he couldn't quite remember what it was..

Kento looked at Sai with a curious sort of look. "Uh… No, you just made it for me. Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Sai shook his head in an attempt to clear the cloudy feeling that resided there. There was something he was supposed to remember… "I'm fine, don't worry about it." He turned around again and began washing the remaining dishes.

"Listen…" Kento started, after slurping up a few more noodles. "I'm really sorry for the way I acted yesterday. I was drunk and I said some things that I really didn't mean. Seiji told me about it this morning before he left. I really don't remember any of it myself." He half-laughed at that. "I guess I don't know my limit when it comes to booze."

"It's alright." Sai said softly, trying his best to remember what he had been doing only a few moments ago. He had this terrible feeling of foreboding without really knowing why.

"No, it's not. I was a jerk. Even if I was drunk, I should've stopped myself from saying what I did…" Kento's voice grew a little softer then. "Can you ever forgive me?"

"Of course. Just don't do anything like that again, promise?" Sai said this without really paying much attention. He was too distracted by his own thoughts and with the dishes. He rinsed off a cup and set it on the counter to dry before reaching back into the soapy water… where something stabbed his finger.

"Ow!" He pulled his hand out of the water, a little trail of blood making it's way down his hand, accelerated by the water.

"Promise." Kento smiled, grabbing another mouthful of noodles with his chopsticks. "I couldn't stand you being mad at me. You really scared me this morning."

Sai didn't respond. He took the drain out of the sink, and when all the water was gone, all that was left were fragments of glass. That feeling of foreboding flared up again. Something was definitely wrong. But why couldn't he remember…

Kento slurped up another bite of ramen, mumbling to Sai with his mouth full, " I'd never seen you so pissed. I was surprised you made this for me, considering how mad you we-"

Sai stared at the glass that rest in the bottom of the sink. There was something about it. He could vaguely remember having seen it only a moment ago, but every time he tried to think about it, his mind drew a blank. He shook his head then, grabbing a paper towel to dry off his hands before turning around to Kento. " I guess I couldn't stay mad at y… Kento!!"

While Sai's back had been turned, Kento had stood up, dropping his chopsticks onto the table. His hands were about his neck, and he made a horrible choking noise. He tried to call out Sai's name, but all his throat emitted was a raspy syllable or two that sounded like 'sai'. The sound itself was fluid, and Sai's eyes widened at the sight of the line of blood that dripped down Kento's lips. Sai felt dizzy then, and images, vaguely familiar ones at that, played across his vision.

_Blood was pouring from his mouth. He looked as though he was trying to scream, but no sound escaped him… _

Kento started walking towards him, blood pouring quicker, running down his chin, his neck, the front of his shirt; all the while he was making that sickening sound; that call for help that sounded more like a call of death. Sai backed up against the kitchen sink. Was it possible? Had he done this during the time he was unable to account for? Kento kept approaching, begging for help soundlessly and Sai was frozen. Even as hardrock fell to the floor; even as his blood began to pool on the linoleum.

" Oh my God…" Sai mouthed as Kento stopped making that raspy plea for help. He wanted to help. He wanted to do anything then… But suddenly he didn't have control of himself. He took one step away, then another, before he ran out of the room.

xxxxx

Rowen was already drenched from just his short walk from the bus stop to the front door. He was clutching an 'Express' bag in his hand, wiping away (uselessly) the water that continued to drip into his eyes. "Of all the days to want to go shopping, I pick the day when I don't have a ride… Perfect." He mumbled, fishing out his keys and opening the front door. When he walked in, the entire living room was lit up with candle light. He flicked at the light switch on the wall. Of course, nothing happened.

"Extra perfect." He said, throwing the bag on the couch. "Sai! Kento! I'm home!" He called out into the darkness, only to receive no answer. "Hey, guys!" Lightening cracked the sky then, filling the room with white light for a moment. There was still no response.

"That's weird." He said softly to himself as he headed up the steps towards Sai's room. The house was completely quiet and he found himself nervous as he made his way through the darkness to Sai's door. He knocked once; twice; before he let himself in. " Hey, Sai…?" He didn't receive a response; the other boy was sleeping, murmuring softly to himself. Rowen grinned, whispering a quick 'sorry', before backing out, shutting the door behind him. It was already into the late afternoon, and Sai was still sleeping…

He shook his head, bounding back down the stairs to the candlelit living room. Sai wasn't one to sleep in late, but he supposed that, given the circumstances from the night before, that Sai could use any rest he could get. Rowen headed into the kitchen then to grab himself something to drink when he paused. The kitchen was just as candlelit as the living room had been, and the flickering light accentuated the body on the floor.

"Kento…?" He said the other's name lightly, yet he didn't move. He walked over and bent down to hardrock, shaking one of his arms in an attempt to rouse him. " H-hey, Kento…" Still no reaction. He remained the way Rowen had found him; face down on the linoleum. "Come on, Kento, this isn't funny." He was shaking the other as hard as he could, yet nothing seemed to rouse him. Finally, Rowen began to worry.

"Oh my God… Kento, wake up!!" He flipped the other onto his back… and cried out in horrified surprise. Kento was covered in blood, the thick streaks of crimson running from his mouth down to his stomach. Rowen put a hand to his mouth, and he wasn't sure whether it was to suppress a scream or the sudden bout of nausea that crept into his stomach.

He sprang into motion then, pressing an ear to the other's chest to listen for a breath, a heartbeat, anything… And it was there; a faint, steady beat. His breathing was shallow, and Rowen could hear an almost fluid sound, as though blood were collecting in the other's throat. He pushed Kento back onto his stomach so Hardrock wouldn't choke before standing in a panic, and rushing to the phone.

" Hospital, please! It's an Emergency!!"

xxxxx

When Ryo and Seijii had finally returned home, an ambulance was flashing in the driveway, and a gurney was being loaded into the back. Ryo immediately thought the worst, turning to Seijii with a look of fear across his face. " Oh my God, It's Sai, isn't it?"

Seiji looked back at the other, eyes mimicking that same expression. The two hopped out of the car and ran to the driveway at about the same time the ambulance doors closed. Ryo banged on them, calling out "Sai! Sai, are you alright?!" He was getting drenched from the rain that was pouring from the sky, but he didn't care.

"That isn't Sai.." Ryo heard Rowen's voice behind him and he turned to look at the warrior of Strata. It looked as though he'd been crying, and the entire front of his shirt was soaked with blood. He seemed shaken, and Ryo in turn felt much the same. He backed away from the ambulance as it pulled out of the driveway, walking over to where Rowen rest, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest. Seijii was already there, running a hand through Rowen's disheveled strands.

" If it wasn't Sai, then…"

Rowen was quiet, and those cerulean hues of his looked down to his feet. " Kento… I don't know what happened to him. He was laying on the floor when I got home." Rowen's whole body was shaking, and though he was looking down at his feet, he didn't really see them. He could only see the blood. It was everywhere… Even when he had thought the worst of it was over, Kento had coughed blood up profusely when he was being loaded onto the gurney. The kitchen was a mess now, and he wasn't sure he could muster up the energy to clean it " He was just laying there…" He said again, still shaking. "And there was so much blood…"

"Stop thinking about it.." Seiji said calmly, pushing Rowen's head so that it rest on his shoulder. Fingers still entangled themselves in the other's hair. "It's over now. " He was quiet for a second before, " Is he… Is he dead…?"

"No, Thank God." Rowen sighed, somewhat relieved by Seijii's fingers in his hair. Even so, he was still shaking. He could feel tears welling up in his eyes again, and he turned to Seijii, burying his head in the other's shoulders as he cried once again. " They say… it looked like he just choked on something. But they still don't know anything for sure.." He managed to choke this out between sobs, though it was barely audible, as his face was still pressed into Seijii's shoulder.

"… Where was Sai when this happened…?" Ryo asked, watching the two. He'd never seen Rowen act like this before and he found it unsettling. How was it possible for something to break him down so badly…?

Rowen took a deep breath, then another, before raising his head from Seijii's shoulder, running an arm across his eyes in a useless effort to clear the tears the had collected there. "He was sleeping when I got home. I checked his room…" A pause then. " W-wait a minute, you don't think Sai-"

"No, of course not." Ryo responded curtly, turning around to watch the ambulance as it sped off in the distance. "Although… He was acting so weird this morning…"

Seijii shook his head, " Well, as enlightening as this conversation has been, It's really cold and wet out here. Do you think maybe we could finish this inside?"

Rowen nodded feebly, arms returning to their former position across his chest. " Yea. I warn you, though. Brace yourselves. It's a freakin' mess in there."

xxxxx

"Sai of Torrent."

He awoke in darkness. Only this time, he wasn't filled with apprehension or nervousness; only anger and an overwhelming need for vengeance.

"It was you, wasn't it?!" The Brit screamed into the void. " You killed Kento!! You fucking killed him!!"

"Are you so sure? Wasn't it you who broke the coffee pot this morning? Wasn't it you that was so conveniently washing the dishes when his affliction began?" The voice laughed to himself. " All of the evidence points to you, Just as I foretold."

"I have no recollection of any of that!!" Sai was frustrated. He wished he could see. He wanted so badly to kill that horrible voice…

"Whether you remember or not is irrelevant. However, I am mildly disappointed in you, Torrent. Your destiny hasn't quite been fulfilled. The Seal of Hardrock still remains.You've still got some work ahead of you."

" I will do no such thing! I… I will forge my own destiny…" He was repeating his mantra from his last encounter, only this time, it was shaky. Though he had been conscious of Kento's affliction; although he had been aware Kento was calling for him, he was still unable to do anything to help. As much as he had wanted to, that strange feeling of displacement overwhelmed him. He was starting to think that maybe there was some truth in this idea of destiny; that no matter how hard he fought against it, it was all for naught.

"It's too late for resistance. You have awoken and there's no stopping it. The five seals will fall, and when the last one does, you will finally be free of your destiny. " And just like that, the voice was gone, leaving Sai alone in the void.

"My…. Destiny…" He repeated softly to himself as the darkness melted away, and he was thrust out of oblivion.

xxxxx

Sai awoke in the living room, once again unsure how he had gotten there. Candle light still sent shadows along the walls, and the rain still pounded against the rooftop. He could hear Rowen, talking softly into the telephone aside of him.

" I see. So he'll be fine, then? … Alright. Thank you very much." Rowen placed the phone back onto the receiver and sighed, rubbing at his forehead before he glanced over to the couch. " Oh, Sai.. I didn't know you were awake."

The Brit yawned, stretching his arms over his head. " Yes." He looked to the clock that hung above the front door. 10:02 p.m. He shook his head, wondering where his entire day had gone. He couldn't remember any of it, save for a few minutes from the morning and something else… Something that he was irrationally fearful of. What was it…? " Is everything alright? You seem upset about something." Rowen was staring at him intently, as if trying to figure something out, and he sat up, nervously scratching at the back of his head.

Rowen didn't answer at first; he merely continued to stare at the other as he made his way to the couch and sat aside of him. " I wouldn't say everything is alright, but yea, I'm okay." A pause. " Kento's alive, anyway."

"Kento…?" The brit breathed in sharply. Why did the mention of hardrock's name cause his breath to catch in his chest like that? He could vaguely remember something…

"Yea, Kento. I told you about this an hour ago, when you came downstairs." Rowen was still studying him, tapping his fingertips upon his knees. " They found out what had caused him to bleed so badly… Glass. He'd swallowed it."

Sai's eyes widened and he sat up a little, staring at Rowen as though he were saying something completely outlandish. "N-no, that can't be…!"

Rowen's eyes never left the other; not even for a second. "He's doing fine now. They gave him a transfusion… but they're not really sure if he'll ever be able to talk again.

"It can't be true!" Sai stood then, looking down at the other boy with a pathetic sort of look. " Please, Rowen.. Please say it's not true…"

He didn't say anything to that; merely looked up to Sai, hesitating a moment, before, " There's glass in the sink, Sai. And when we checked that bowl of ramen sitting on the table, there was glass in that, too. I…" He finally broke eye contact with the other, settling for staring at his shoes. " The investigators will be here in an hour…"

"Investigators…?" Sai asked questioningly, as though he didn't know where Rowen was going with this, before, " A-are you saying… that I did this…?" Silence. Rowen kept staring at his shoes. " Rowen..? Are you saying that you think I tried to kill him?!"

He was silent still, for a moment or two, before he was finally able to look up at the Brit. His eyes shone with more misery than Sai had ever seen before, and Sai took a step back, the accusation slicing more than a knife ever could. " It makes sense. You were mad. You weren't acting like yourself…"

"How could you think I'd ever do anything like that?! That's not me, Rowen! I'd never-"

"How am I supposed to believe you?!" He yelled, standing as well, taking a firm grip of the other's shoulders. " Tell me that! Seijii told me what happened this morning!" He was crying in frustration then. " I shouldn't have left the two of you alone. I never should have left-"

Sai didn't know what to say. He couldn't remember anything about this morning, save for trying to make breakfast… And then he drew a blank. He cursed himself inwardly. Maybe if he had been more open about his strange ailment, none of this would've happened. He shook his head then, trying to remember… It was something that Kento had said…

_I couldn't stand you being mad at me. You really scared me this morning…_

But what had he done…? "You… don't believe me then..?" He took a step closer to the other, shakily putting a hand to his cheek. When the other didn't resist, he pulled him into a fierce hug. " Please, Rowen, I swear I didn't do anything… and I can't stand you thinking that I did…"

"What else would you have me believe, Sai? That he did it himself?" He pulled the other's hand from upon his cheek and held it down to the side. " When I found his body, it wasn't at the table. It was a few feet away, as though he were walking towards something…. It was you, wasn't it?" Sai didn't say anything in defense of himself, so Rowen continued. "He needed help and he went to you, but you didn't do anything, did you?!"

Sai swallowed hard, looking up at the other with furrowed brows and quivering lips. "I…" He started, but couldn't find the words to finish.

"You what?!" Rowen shouted in response, breathing heavy. His vision was grey around the edges and he feared possible hyperventilation if he couldn't calm himself. But Sai wasn't saying anything. Rowen wanted him to. He wanted him to have some explanation that was logical; some excuse that would clearly vindicate him of hurting their comrade; and when Sai continued to say nothing, he started in on him again. "I love you, Sai."

The Brit hadn't expected anything like that and eyes widened in the wake of it. " Y-you…. You love-" He started, but Rowen interrupted him.

" I have for awhile. You were the one person I felt closest to, and I thought that maybe… that maybe one day we'd…" He stopped, looking down at the floor, hands balling into fists. Sai was looking at him; at the way his whole body was shaking. He supposed he should've been somewhat happy to hear that his feelings, all along, had been reciprocated, but Rowen's use of past tense caused him to step away from the other, an outstretched hand in front of him, though he wasn't quite sure what to do with it. Rowen went on. " But it's different now… I'm.. It's impossible for me to feel that way now. Not after this…"

"Rowen, I…." He reached that outstretched hand of his to Rowen's face, only to have it smacked away.

"Don't touch me." Was Strata's response and he turned, walking back towards the kitchen where Ryo and Seijii had been, cleaning up the mess and putting groceries away.

Sai stood with his hand still reaching, even as Rowen headed out of the room. This was his breaking point. He'd taken all that he could stand. He brought his arm back down to his side, before speaking softly; so softly in fact that even Rowen, from his distance of a few feet away, could barely hear him. " So that's it then." He was looking down at his feet then, and Rowen turned his head enough to look over his shoulder at the Brit. " I guess… I guess you guys don't need me anymore then." His head rose, tears clouding up his eyes. His voice wavered, and he found it hard to look at Rowen directly. " I've become a burden… someone not to be trusted." A little smile crossed his face, a solitary tear having started making its way down his cheek. He was thinking of all the things that might've been.

_I just want you to know, I'm here for you…_

_…Because I think pretty highly of you, too…_

_Clumsy, tripping over your own two feet…_

And as quickly as those memories entered his mind, they were just as quickly replaced by the reality of things; Rowen would never look at him in high regards again. He was still smiling, even as he offered a feeble. " I love you too, Rowen… I just regret that as much as I tried not to, I still disappointed you in the end." And with that, the Brit turned and rushed to the door.

Rowen immediately took to action, turning around to chase after the other. " Sai, wait…!" But he wasn't quick enough. Sai threw open the door and ran out into the rain just as another crack of lightening lit up the sky.

"Shit." Strata murmured before heading out the door after the other.

xxxxx

The brush was thick, and he could hardly see anything in the rain and fog. The forest was as dark as ever and as much as he tried, he couldn't find the other. " Sai!!" He called out to the other, not really expecting a response. Even if Sai did somehow manage to hear him and answer the call, there was no guarantee that Rowen would hear him above the rain that hit the leaves all around him.

"Please Sai, let me take you back to the house!" He called out again. By now, he was soaked head to toe, and he continuously slipped in the mud; The rain had had four days to loosen up the soil and with each step he sank deeper into the ground than the last.

"What's the point?" Sai finally emerged behind him. He was clinging to a tree, an empty sort of look on his face. " As much as I tried, I couldn't stop it. I couldn't fight my destiny…"

Rowen looked over to the other. His wrist was badly bruised and cut, as though he had repeatedly hit it against something. Blood, thinned by rain water was running down his arm, but his face showed no signs of pain; not even mild discomfort and as Rowen watched the other, he took his good wrist and started banging it against the tree he rest upon; hard.

"S-sai! You're hurting yourself! What's wrong with you?!"

"I couldn't fight it. I'm as weak as I've always been." He was speaking calmly, bashing his wrist in intervals of a few seconds, but steadily, as though he were keeping a beat in his head. " If I live, he will have his way. The seals will fall…"

"What are you talking about?! You're not making any sense!" Rowen was pleading then, cautiously taking little steps towards the other. " Please, let's just go back to the house. We can work this out."

Sai shook his head, abruptly stopping the rhythmic banging of his good wrist. The bark of the tree had roughly sliced through the skin and now blood was dripping down both of his hands from where they rest against his sides. He looked at them then, covered in blood as they were, analyzing them, before saying softly to himself, " I'll set the apocalypse in motion with blood-stained hands…" He was tired then, and he was vaguely aware of that feeling of displacement settling in. He looked up at Rowen, who was still slowly inching his way towards the other. " Rowen, You have to go now. It's… It's the only way you'll be safe…."

"I don't understand you. Sai, whatever's wrong we can fix it. Please, just-"

"I said go!!" He cried out dropping to his knees. He was breathing heavily as he shakily tried to get back onto his feet. But he was so tired…

Rowen took this opportunity to run aside of the other, placing a hand on both of his shoulders. " I'm not going to leave you like this. Come on, stand up. It's time to go." Rowen said calmly, reaching a hand down to help the other up. But Sai didn't move. Instead, he did something completely unexpected. He laughed.

" You should've left while you had the chance. He was trying his best to protect you."

"W-what…?" Rowen looked down at the other, whose head was tilted down so that he only saw the top. " What are you….!"

Sai looked up at him then, with a little half smile on his face. As fast as the lightening that lit up the sky he grabbed one of Rowen's wrists, twisting his arm in such a way that Strata dropped to his knees, coughing out a surprised yelp of pain. " He probably would've, too, had you not come to look for him. " Sai was looking at his wounds, as if seeing them for the first time. " The little brat. Willing to kill himself to save his friends. Courageous, though, I'll give him that."

Rowen's eyes clenched shut in agony. Something was amiss. Sai was talking as if… as if… " You're not Sai…! You're not!!" He managed to break Sai's grasp on him, and he tumbled into the foliage a few feet away before scrambling to his feet, breathing heavy.

"Heh, so you've finally figured it out. Too bad you're going to die." And in a flash, Sai was in motion, sending a flurry of kicks and punches towards Rowen who was caught off guard and only at half defense. He tried to block, but Sai was overpowering him. He seemed faster… stronger…

"Sai, are you in there?! Please, cut it out!!" He was clipped in the jaw and stumbled backwards into the mud, a hand instinctively raising to where the blow had made contact. It stung, but he didn't even have time to take notice. Sai was back on him within seconds and he threw counter attacks; a punch for a punch; a kick for a kick; but his stamina was already dwindling. The mud was slowing him down and he felt as though all of his moves were sluggish…. But not Sai. He'd never seen Torrent move faster, and he supposed the fact that he was surrounded by his element played some part in that, but that wasn't quite it. Despite all the blood he continued to lose, he wasn't wearing down. He was attacking with the same ferocity as when he had started.

"It's useless." The brit said, eyes still vacant, that half-smile still on his face. " You'll never defeat me. The five seals will be broken." As he said this, he swept a leg under Rowen, sending him crashing to the ground heavily. Before he had time to recover, Sai had him pinned, straddling him, holding Rowen's leg's down with his feet and pinning his arms with one hand. Rowen tried to escape but the grip was solid, and as much as he tried he couldn't break it. " It's time to end this." Sai said, free hand producing a dagger. From where, Rowen couldn't be sure. It had all happened in an instant. He'd never seen Sai move so quickly. Cerulean hues were looking up at the other, a wide-eyed look of helplessness on his face.

" I'm sorry Sai…" Rowen's eyes clenched shut once again as Sai raised the blade above him. "I'm sorry…" In truth, he had no idea why he was apologizing; but he just kept repeating the phrase over and over, bracing himself for the pain of the knife when it made contact.

…But it didn't. He cracked open an eye to look up at the other. The rain and mist were clouding his vision, but still he saw it; Sai's eyes had widened, and he was gazing off into space. " Rowen…?"

"Sai…? Sai please stop this." The Brit seemed rational now, and Rowen took the opportunity to call out to him; to plead with him. "Just let me go! We'll go back to the house, and we can talk about it. Obviously there's something wrong here. We can get through it together just, please, let me go…"

Sai looked down at the other then. He was smiling, only… this time it wasn't that evil half grin… It was a smile that broke Rowen's heart, and he wasn't sure if Sai was crying, or if it was just rain water sliding down his cheeks then. " I'm sorry, Rowen. It's too late for that now. I've let it go too far…" He looked up then, towards the sky, relishing in the way the rain felt as it touched his skin. All the while, he could slowly feel himself slipping again; slipping into that void. "I…" He started, still smiling up at the sky. " I am Sai Shin Mouri…" This was a declaration. More to himself than anyone else " And I will forge my own destiny…" He was getting so tired…

"…Sai…?" The Brit was looking down at him, face somewhere in between that smile and that half grin. Rowen could see the point of the knife, which glinted as another bolt of lightening cracked the sky. When the light dispersed, he could see the blade coming down….

…And then the ground was watered with blood.

xxxxx

The next day, the rain stopped and the sun shone for the first time in four days, but he didn't care. The death toll from the storm and the floods that followed was said to be somewhere over 100. Destruction was everywhere; from damaged cars to flooded buildings, but he didn't care about that either. The other was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it.

He supposed that maybe he had been crazy; that maybe with the right help; maybe with the right person there for him, he'd have been alright, but it was too late for that now. No matter what words he had left to offer, it wouldn't bring him back…

The funeral procession had ended an hour ago, and still Rowen stood there, looking down at the tombstone and freshly turned earth with his hands in his pockets and a solemn look on his face. _R.I.P Sai Shin Mouri - 'The link that held us together.'_ It was true. Sai had always been the voice of reason that held the group of five together. He wondered what could have caused Sai to act so irrationally. Was it loneliness? Perhaps maybe Kento's insult had been the last straw? He didn't know, and as much as he posed the question to himself, no new answers revealed themselves.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and turned his head only slightly, catching a glimpse of blonde strands from behind him. Seijii…

" Ryo's waiting. It's time to go now."

Rowen nodded. " You go ahead. I'll only be a second." Seijii nodded, complying immediately, leaving Rowen alone. He knelt by the tombstone, speaking softly to himself. " It's strange. Whenever I was miserable, I'd always turn to you. You always knew just what to say to make me feel better, and now…" He choked on the words, shaking his head to clear out the feelings of anguish that continued to overtake him. " I love you, Sai. For what it's worth…" He was quiet then. What else did he have to say? He stood then, staring intently at the headstone one last time. The car horn sounded behind him and he knew Ryo and Seijii were eager to go. " Good bye, Sai." And then he turned, heading back to the car as the sun set in the distance.

xxxxx

Author's note: This completes chapter one of a tentative 6 chapters. I hope you like the story so far! Some of the holes will be filled in the next installment, entitled 'Heaven Falls'. Now, a couple notes about chapter one. This story is adapted from a oneshot story I wrote years ago, under the penname Kosaku Mitsuko. Originally, the story was just about Sai descending into madness, and nothing more. Upon retrospect, the story had no real substance, so I added a few more elements, elaborated on a couple Ideas to come up with this grand production I like to call the 'RW Chronicles.' Anyway, The second chapter will take me a little while to finish, so in the mean time, Read and Review; Check out the original if you'd like. All feedback is appreciated. Until next time!

KC


	2. Heaven Falls

Heaven Falls

Original Ronin Warriors Fanfiction by KC

As always, the characters belong to their creators and not to me… regretfully…

xxxxx

_Sai looked down at the other then. He was smiling, only… this time it wasn't that evil half grin… It was a smile that broke Rowen's heart, and he wasn't sure if Sai was crying, or if it was just rain water sliding down his cheeks then. " I'm sorry, Rowen. It's too late for that now. I've let it go too far…" He looked up then, towards the sky, relishing in the way the rain felt as it touched his skin. All the while, he could slowly feel himself slipping again; slipping into that void. "I…" He started, still smiling up at the sky. " I am Sai Shin Mouri…" This was a declaration. More to himself than anyone else " And I will forge my own destiny…" He was getting so tired…_

_"…Sai…?" The Brit was looking down at him, face somewhere in between that smile and that half grin. Rowen could see the point of the knife, which glinted as another bolt of lightening cracked the sky. When the light dispersed, he could see the blade coming down…._

_And then he felt a splash of warmth hit his face. The smell of blood filled the air, and he looked up in time to see Sai, eyes clenched shut, wrenching the knife into his chest. Blood was pouring out of him in little spurts. The pain must've been immense; but nevertheless the Brit twisted the knife, screaming out loud in agony.._

_"S-sai!!" Rowen struggled under the other until he was finally able to work his way out from beneath him. Sai didn't fight him at all then, and merely knelt there on the ground, propping himself up with one hand, while the other hand still clung to the knife. Rowen was aside of him in a second, arms on his shoulders, eyes frantic.. "Sai, why did you do that?!" It was pouring and he could barely hear himself above the sound of the rain crashing to the ground.. "God, you're bleeding everywhere…!" He caught the Brit as he lurched forward as though he were going to fall, and cradled him against his body. "Why did you do that…?" He whispered, so softly that he couldn't be sure that he had actually said it. _

_Sai was looking up at him, his free hand weakly sliding up Rowen's arm before grabbing at his shirt tightly. He was mouthing words that Rowen couldn't quite make out. It looked like… _

_"I love you , too. I love you Sai…." He was crying as he reached a hand to the other's face. But before his fingers could reach him, the hand that clung to his shirt loosened, and fell limply to Sai's side. Rowen's eyes flared for a moment, mixed feelings of anger, confusion and anguish welling up inside of him. He held the other boy's body tightly against him…_

_xxxxx_

"Sai…!!" The blue haired boy sat up quickly, to realize that the expanse of forest was gone and was instead replaced with the familiar sights and sounds of his room at daylight. He glanced over to the clock that rest on his nightstand. 8:00 am. He watched the second hand as it passed over the 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' logo. The ticking seemed to be the only sound he could focus on and cerulean hues found themselves entranced by the minute movement of that little red hand.

"Damn it all…"

xxxxx

"Five minutes, he says…"Ryo tapped his foot impatiently, arms crossed about his chest while he waited for Seiji to finally emerge from 'Paolo's pizza'. It was hot that day and, despite the recent storms having destroyed a good portion of downtown Nerima, the streets were still full of people shopping, talking, or idly walking by. It served as proof that even though disaster may strike, the world continues on, as though unchanged.

Ryo found himself hating it; hating the way everyone around him was smiling. In a way, he felt it was unfair. While others' lives may have gone on as though unaffected by the recent tragedy, he had lost a comrade, leaving only two members of the original five relatively unscathed both physically and emotionally; Seiji and himself. Kento still hadn't regained speech, and Rowen had isolated himself in his room for the past three days. ..

" Why are you scowling like that? It's kinda creepy." Seiji tilted his head sideways at Ryo, having emerged from the pizza shop with a huge box held (somewhat slanted) at chest level. Ryo looked up at him silently from his position leaning against the wall aside of the doorway. It was a minute or two before he finally shook his head, pushing himself off from against it " I wasn't scowling. I was just…. thinking, is all."

"What about?" Seiji questioned, popping open the box a little, aiming to pull out a slice to eat on the way home. Of course, his efforts were immediately thwarted by Ryo, who snatched the box away.

"Why don't I carry it? Maybe then we'll actually have more than a half a pizza when we get back."

"No, it's cool. I got it. And you didn't answer my question."

Ryo ignored him, walking back towards the cabin with the pizza. "I'd also like the cheese to be all over it, and not just globbed together on one side of the box."

"You're avoiding the question." A pause. " It's Rowen, isn't it?"

Ryo stopped in mid step. " It's not just that.."

Seiji walked up behind him then, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay to be upset. We buried Sai barely a week ago." The blonde was quiet for a moment, as if considering what to say next. " The best we could hope for is to move on and try our best to forget it."

" I'll never forget it." Ryo's eyes were closed, and he couldn't help but remember that night in the forest. Sai and Rowen… God, so much blood…

"The pizza's getting cold." Seiji said, noticing the way Ryo tensed up and trying his best to ease the situation. "Maybe we should get back now."

"How-" Ryo turned to the other quickly, nearly dropping the pizza box in his wake. "How can you keep so calm?! Sai is dead! As in, never coming back? "

Seiji took a small step back, shocked at Ryo's sudden outburst before ,almost instantaneously, regaining his composure and snatching the pizza box from the other's hands. " Because someone has to keep everyone in good spirits. Why not me?" He stormed past Ryo then, heading back towards the cabin.

"Oh, of course. Mr. Date. 'Mr. Untouchable.' Nothing ever phases _you_. " Seiji heard Ryo say from behind him, He turned his head just until he could catch a glimpse of the other through wild blonde strands.

"That's not fair."

Seiji kept his back to him, and the tone of his voice, the rigidness of his form caused Ryo to once again look down, playing idly with the seam of his shirt. " I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

"It's okay. Come on." Seiji started walking again and Ryo stayed in place a minute or two, watching as the other kept getting further and further away. He never turned around to see if he would follow, and Ryo supposed he didn't really expect him to. A sigh, before he chased after Seiji, and the two of them walked home in silence.

xxxxxx

Seiji closed the door behind him with his foot and set the pizza box on the kitchen table. The house was quiet; something he wasn't accustomed to at this time of day and he followed Ryo into the living room, glancing at the clock that hung above the front door. A little past noon.

"Rowen would be watching cartoons right now." He said offhandedly to Ryo, who laid back against the couch with his eyes closed.

"Sai would've already had lunch finished by now."

Silence. It was obvious that Ryo was still dwelling and instead of trying to get him out of his emotional funk, Seiji instead tousled the boy's hair, heading towards the steps.

"You know he won't come down. " Ryo called after him, not bothering to open his eyes or turn in the other boy's direction.

"Who knows? Maybe today's the day." And with that hopeful thought, he bounded up the stairs to Rowen's room, knocking on the door lightly with a single knuckle. "Honey, I'm home."

"Go away." Was the muffled response he received from the other side of the door.

"What's that you say? Come right in? Don't mind if I do." And in he went, with little regard to how it might have made Rowen feel. The sight that awaited him was depressing. Rowen, blankets up to his waist, arms folded across his chest. He was staring at the ceiling and even from his position at the door, Seiji could see little tears sliding along the side of the other's face.

"Still upset, huh?" Seiji said softly, shutting the door behind him and slowly sauntering over to the other's side. Rowen tilted his head to him slightly, face emotionless. He was crying, sure, but his lip never quivered. His eyes showed no visible signs of distress or lamentation.

"I can't stop.." More tears welled up and slid down his face at that, yet he made no motion to wipe them away; he merely let them run their course. " As soon as I think I'm done I just keep seeing his face, and…"

"You'll come to terms with it. The pain will stop." Seiji sat down on the bed aside of him, brushing away a few strands of blue that clung to the tears upon his cheek. " I wish I could say soon, but it's really all up to you. "

"There's just so much that I never got to say." A pause. "And so much I regret saying in the first place.."

Seiji was quiet then. He had nothing to say to that; at least nothing that would help ease Strata's pain. His own thoughts of the situation were more analytical. Sai had attempted to kill Kento and had tried to do the same to Rowen. Even in death, those were two things Seiji couldn't forgive and so his range of emotions concerning the situation were somewhat limited. Even so, a fingertip traced its way along the paths Rowen's tears had made and he mustered a gentle, " I wish I could fix everything. "

" I've wished that since the second he died." He closed his eyes. Images of Sai twisting the knife in his chest still playing across his visage.

Seiji wiped away some moisture off of Rowen's face with his thumb, before returning his hands to his lap. "Me and Ryo went to Paolo's for pizza. I know it's your favorite."

"I'm not very hungry."

Seiji would've pressed the issue, but the emptiness in Rowen's eyes was haunting, and he decided it best to worry about it later. "I understand. If I had been there, I'm sure I wouldn't be too hungry myself." He looked directly at the other and their eyes locked. They stayed like that for a little over a minute before Seiji finally broke the silence. "I'll save some for you in the fridge. The second you're hungry, let me now and Ill get it for you."

The blue haired boy merely nodded and Seiji sat there for another moment before rising and heading towards the door.

"Seiji?" He turned as the other called out to him from behind. Rowen was half-sitting up, blue strands wild atop his head. An accumulation of three days worth of bed-head. "Thank you."

"For what?" He questioned, brows furrowing at the other.

"For disregarding my privacy and coming in even though I told you not to."

Seiji half smiled. "Any time." He left and closed the door behind him, leaving Rowen to crawl back into bed. Seiji shook his head, bounding back down the stairs to where Ryo still sat on the couch.

"Any luck?" Ryo asked, still making no motion to look at the other.

"No… but I'm hopeful." And that was all he could be.

xxxxxx

_It was the beach at nighttime He could tell by the way the air touched his skin and the sound the waves made as they crashed against the shore. While the waters close by seemed to be raging, further out the waters were calm, slight ripples reflecting fragmented pieces of moonlight._

_"How did I get here..?" He asked, walking towards the waters slowly, wrapping his arms around himself for warmth. He was so cold. Bare feet made their way through the sand and as he got closer to the water, the sand became easier and easier to walk on until it started to become wet beneath him. He wiggled his toes, squishing wet sand between them before looking up at the sky. No stars were visible; only the moon pierced the velvet blackness._

_He didn't know why he was there. He only vaguely remembered some sort of urgency; some sort of immediate need that had drawn him there. And before he could question himself about it, a voice rose above the sound of the crashing waves and Rowen lifted his eyes to meet it, staring out towards the ocean. A form floated there, and he squinted his eyes to catch a better glimpse of it through the darkness._

_"H-hello? Is someone there…?" He called out, not really expecting an answer. He was near positive that his eyes were more than likely deceiving him and that the apparition that seemed to be walking on top of water before him was a mere figment of his imagination._

_" I'm waiting for you, Rowen…" The voice called again from it's position of at least one hundred feet off of the shoreline. It sounded so familiar…_

_"Sai…? Is that you?" He took a few more steps forward, so that his feet were submerged in the water. It was cold and in response, his whole body shuddered. The concept was laughable, but the voice sounded so much like him. Besides which, Sai was the only person Rowen could think of that could plausibly walk on water. Maybe he hadn't died. Maybe that had been a dream; or rather, a nightmare._

_" I'm waiting for you, Rowen." The voice said again. Rowen absently noted that it was impossible for him to hear that voice so clearly from it's distance over the sound of the waves, but in his desperation, ignored it. Instead he continued to walk forward. His legs were submerged. Then his waist; then his chest. It was freezing and he could feel the goosebumps popping up on his skin, but he didn't care. It was Sai. It was his chance to be reunited with Sai. He was swimming then, trying his hardest to fight the pull of the waves, accentuated by the presence of the moon, looming over the ocean as though it were merely a few feet above it. His arms and chest were burning and it was becoming harder and harder for him to keep afloat. But the voice kept calling to him, so he advanced._

_His goal was nearly within grasp before a wave took him up and beneath it as it descended. He was fighting to resurface, but the water was pulling him down. His whole body struggled, but to no avail. Soon enough, his breath gave out, and the water filled his lungs like daggers. He was screaming, but the sound was merely a dull vibration in the water. Hands moved to his throat, though there was nothing he could do. As much as he flailed; as much as he screamed, the water was choking him, killing him.. Even so, he could hear that voice, as clearly as he could on the beach. It was as if it was in his head…_

_" I'm waiting for you, Rowen…. Rowen…Row-_

_xxxxxx_

"-en, I'm right here! Stop it!!"

He awoke screaming, flailing about and continued on with this a moment or two before his limbs grew tired and he relaxed back, out of breath. Ceruleans adjusted to the room, lit up only slightly from the light in the hallway. He felt as though he were being held down and he looked up, to see Seiji on top of him, breathing heavy, as though he had been struggling.

"W-what… what just happened?" Rowen asked softly. His whole body felt wet and cold, due mostly to the sweat that drenched both him and his sheets. But even so, he could still smell the ocean air. He could still feel the water on his skin…

"Thank God. I thought you were having a seizure or something." Seiji loosened the grip he had on the blue haired boy's arms, sliding off of him to take a more comfortable position on the side of the bed. "Are you okay?"

Though Seiji had already let go of him, he could still feel his hands gripping at his arms, and he was sure it would leave a bruise. " Yea… Yea, I'm fine…" He shook his head and sat up, the details of his dream disappearing with each passing second until what was left were nonsensical blurs. He looked up at Seiji who was looking at him over his shoulder.

"You don't sound so sure of yourself." Seiji was quiet for a second, still staring at the other. " You wanna talk about it, big guy? "

" No, really, it's okay…" His knees were up and he crossed his arms around them, resting his chin on top of them.

Seiji stood with a little shrug, stretching his arms over his head with a yawn. " Well, if that's the case, I guess I'll be going back to bed." He turned his back, arms crossed atop his head, waving a hand to Rowen as he headed towards the door.

"Wait…!" Rowen called, head lifting from it's place atop his knees. Seiji stopped in his tracks but didn't turn to face the other.

"What is it?" He said it calmly; seriously… this was something Rowen wasn't typically accustomed to. Sure, the blonde had his moments. Always serious before, during and after meditation as well as when in the heat of battle… But now? It didn't fit his sarcastic nature and Rowen found himself unable to speak.

"I-I don't know…" He stammered. "I was dreaming… but…" He was looking down at his bed sheets as though something there would spark his memory. " I don't really remember what happened… I-"

"You were dreaming about him." The blonde interrupted.

"Him…?" Rowen questioned as though in a daze, eyes still staring at his bed sheets, unblinking.

" 'Sai? Is that you?' " Seiji was walking back to the bed where he sat down beside the other. He placed a hand upon the blue-haired boy's back, his thumb tracing little circles about his neck. " You were calling to him… right before you spazzed. Look, whatever's bothering you-"

" I already told you I'm fine… It was just a one-time thing, okay?" Ceruleans shut softly, and he spoke barely above a whisper. " It won't happen again. " His sentence lacked conviction, and Seiji knew immediately that it would, in fact, happen again. The thought angered him. He supposed he should have stopped himself then. But his mouth was, perhaps for the first time, quicker than his mind.

" It shouldn't have happened a first time. " In his mind, those words meant that he wished the whole ordeal hadn't happened at all. But to Rowen, still stricken with grief, the words pierced him. He visibly winced, shooting Seiji a look.

"What are you saying?" His eyes flared, and it was clear that he was trying to keep his voice steady. Seiji blinked at him a couple times, thinking carefully about his next words.

" I'm saying this shouldn't have happened. If he hadn't died, you wouldn't be like this. Things could've been like they've always been…" He was making fists without even realizing it. " In a way, I blame Sai for this. If he hadn't-"

"He's the victim in this!!" Rowen next to screamed, pushing Seiji off of the bed. He toppled gracelessly to the floor, sitting up with a wince, hand pressed to his back.

"Even though…" His faced was scrunched up as he stood, a residual effect from the way he had jarred his back. " Even though he nearly killed you and Kento, you still defend him? I don't understand.."

" You weren't there…" It had happened suddenly and he wasn't able to stop himself. That silent crying. As much as he tried to subdue them, the tears welled up almost endlessly. " It… It was like he was a completely different person…"

" Yea. A psychopath." Seiji stood, leaning backwards in an attempt to straighten out his back.

"Just…." Rowen was clutching at the sheets beneath him so hard his knuckles were white. He could feel his fingernails digging into his palm. " Just go. I'm fine now, so just go."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that…" Rowen was staring at his knees, and Seiji knew that no matter what he would say, Rowen wouldn't answer him. " I just don't know what to say to you. It's hard for me to think he's the martyr in all of this when it's his fault we're like this…. His fault _you're _like this. " Still, silence. " Regardless of the reason, he was psychotic… and you're lucky to be alive. Goodnight." Seiji said the last part with as little emotion as possible, turning around and heading out of the room, leaving Rowen sitting there, still silently crying.

"There has to be more to it than that…."

xxxxxx

The next morning started as usual. Seiji was facing the sunrise, eyes closed, cross-legged on the front porch. He was quietly repeating things to himself under his breath. Phrases like, " Things happen for a reason." and "Everything fixes itself with time.". He'd said these phrases so often that he was almost forced to believe them. But even though the words themselves held no meaning, or rather, the meaning behind them had been lost, the repetition comforted him and he was able to let everything bothering him disappear, if only for a little while.

"You're up early, as usual." He heard Ryo say this quietly from behind him. He didn't turn in acknowledgment, not that Ryo expected him to. He offered a quick, 'creature of habit' before resuming his meditation in silence.

"The forest-" Ryo started, glancing out at the woods that stretched on ahead of them, foggy with early morning moisture. "It's hard to believe that all that happened there, what, with the way it looks now. " He blew some of the steam off of the mug of coffee he was holding before sipping at it, watching Seiji from his position at the front door.

"It could've happened anywhere, so it's not really all that hard to believe." Seiji's response was curt, a bit brash… Of course, he was always like that when he was trying to meditate. Ryo should've given up but he needed someone to talk to and Seiji was the only viable option.

" I was just making an observation. " Seiji still hadn't budged at all; not even when Ryo set down his mug and sat aside of him so that their knees touched. "You know, that thing humans do when they want to strike up a little dialogue? It involves words? Exchanges of pleasantries? "

"Concentrating." Another curt answer. "Why don't you check on Kento or something? I'll be done here soon."

"I already did that. He's sleeping fine. The doctors have him so drugged up that that's not really surprising, though." Ryo shook his leg so that his knee continuously bumped up against the blonde's, in an attempt to throw his concentration. " Besides, I came out here to check on you anyway."

Seiji, by this point having given up on blocking out wildfire's incessant pestering, opened his eyes to look over towards the other. The look on his face was that of boredom; cynicism, perhaps.

"Why would you want to do that? I'm still breathing, I have the use of all of my body parts, and I'm just as gorgeous as I've always been, so all in all, I'd say I'm doing pretty good." He stood, rubbing at his bare chest and arms in a lazy attempt at warming himself. "It's kind of cold today."

Ryo stayed seated on the floor in front of the other, looking up at him skeptically. "So then nothing's bothering you? Nothing at all?"

"Nope. I'm a-ok!" He flashed Ryo a cheesy grin and a thumbs up before grabbing the muscle shirt that he'd draped on the porch railing and heading into the living room where he flopped down heavily onto the couch. Ryo picked up his coffee mug and followed him in just as quickly.

"Weren't you the one yelling at me for being so evasive yesterday? Or did you already forget about that?"

"I didn't forget and I'm not being evasive, okay? I just don't feel like talking right now." Seiji was growing impatient and he said that in such a way as to make it known. Ryo sighed, shaking his head in defeat.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry.." Ryo took a little sip of his coffee, tapping his fingertips upon the side of the mug. " I heard you walking around down here last night. Couldn't sleep?"

Seiji wanted to point out that that question was contradictory to his previous statement, but when he looked over to Ryo his face held a look of genuine concern. He caved, running a hand through blonde strands so that his eye, normally hidden by those golden tufts, was visible, forehead lined as though he was frowning. "It's nothing like that. Something woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep. That's all."

" Had a bad dream?"

"No."

"Something you ate?"

"No."

"Rowen?"

"N…No." He said that with a waver in his voice, as though he was first unsure whether or not he wanted to reveal any more to the other boy. Perhaps the reality was that he _did_ want to talk about it. Of course he would never admit that and so he stood then, walking towards the kitchen, as though that would end the conversation.

" Something tells me you're lying." Ryo grinned, calling after the other, who had his head stuck in the fridge. He produced a piece of bread, sticking it into his mouth and holding it there while he continued to rummage.

" Something tells me you should quit while you're ahead." Seiji said, a bit mumbled due to the bread in his mouth. He decided there was nothing worthwhile in the fridge and shut the door after grabbing a bottle of water, heading back into the living room. He twisted off the cap, taking a few swigs before looking at Ryo, who was grinning up at him. "Wipe that stupid look off of your face."

" What? I think it's cute."

" You think what's cute?" Seiji said before taking another long swallow of his water after having demolished the piece of bread.

" That you love him."

Seiji promptly spit out his water, half-choking on it before he was able to muster, " H-hey! It's not like that at all! He was having a nightmare and I snapped him out of it. End of story." Ryo merely raised an eyebrow to the blonde. "I said end of story!" Still, Ryo was giving him that look. Seiji sighed and plopped down on the couch aside of Ryo. " God, you're a pain.."

"Well, whatever the case, " Ryo started, standing with his mug, patting Seiji on the shoulder with a free hand. "Try not to be too worried about him. ' We'll just have to try our best to forget about it and move on', isn't that what you said?"

"…Yeah." Seiji responded after a moment, eyes closing as he rest his head back. "… Wait, I'm the smart one, right?"

Ryo rolled his eyes. " You know, I think I liked it better when you weren't saying anything."

Xxxxxxx

_Rowen sat up with a hand to his head, blinking his eyes a few times in an attempt to will away the sleep that was still trying its best to entice him. He was cold and when he looked around, he found himself once again on the beach. A light breeze was blowing, the scent of wet sand and sea spray stimulating his senses._

_"This again…." He said to no one in particular as he stood, dusting dry sand off of his pants. The moon was huge in the sky; stunning, as though the ocean was trying its best to engulf it. But more captivating than that was the look of the sky and the ocean that stretched out into the distance. There were no colors. Only various shades of white, black and grey. And the water that had been crashing against the shore was frozen, as if someone had stopped time itself. Rowen sauntered to where the water was motionless against the shore and put a single foot upon it, putting his weight down. The water felt more like cold stone beneath him and he crouched then, rubbing his hand against it._

_" What the hell…?"_

_" It's beautiful, isn't it?"_

_Rowen turned at the sound of the other voice behind him. Sai was there, sitting in the sand and smiling out towards the horizon._

_" A spot frozen in time. The beauty of nature maintained, untainted by the touch of man."_

_" I guess so. But without the sound of the waves this place feels kind of empty." Rowen walked to where Sai sat and plopped into the sand beside him, resting back on his hands. Sai looked over to him, still smiling sweetly, as though in a euphoria._

_" Perhaps. But there is also a profoundness in silence itself. There are things that can only be discovered when all sound ceases; when all life stops."_

_"Like what?"_

_Sai laughed to himself a bit, looking back towards the frozen ocean. " I haven't words to describe it. Rather, it's something that's felt."_

_" All I feel is emptiness."_

_" And nothing more?"_

_"..And loneliness. But I guess those are almost the same thing."_

_"Or perhaps not. Loneliness infers that you desire someone else. This is not true of emptiness."_

_"But when I feel loneliness, I feel empty. To me, they mean the same."_

_"This is coincidental." Sai stood, running a hand through auburn strands, with the dull light of the moon lightly touching his face. Rowen couldn't help but notice how beautiful he looked. " Humans, by nature, are lonely. To them, life is a constant search for completeness. However, even if they are in fact lonely, there are other things they have within themselves that have substance, so they are a far cry from empty." The brit turned to look at the other. "Even you have a greater purpose; something that keeps you from being empty."_

_"What, being a Ronin? That's something of the past." Rowen sighed dejectedly, looking towards his feet, which he dug into the sand._

_"And why is that?" Sai responded. Since his spontaneous arrival, Sai's voice had an odd lilt about it… but Rowen didn't question it. He was happy to hear the other's voice at all._

_" Talpa's dead. Humanity is safe from evil. I don't have a purpose anymore."_

_" Because there is no evil left for you to vanquish?"_

_" Yes."_

_" And you maintain this to be true?"_

_"I already told you yes." He responded with a bit of venom in his voice and immediately apologized. " I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to come out like that."_

_Sai shook his head, slowly walking towards the shore. " There is more to being a Ronin then just combating evil. We have always served a higher purpose."_

_Rowen shook his head. "I don't understand."_

_" It's not something that's easily understood. Look…" Sai pointed up to the sky. As he did so, the stars, which were until then nonexistent, began to shine in clusters of colors. Indigo, Blue, Orange, Red and Green. The contrast between the bleak beach and the colorful sky was magnificent and Rowen stood in awe of it. " These clusters each represent an element. Strata, Water, Earth, Fire, and Light. Each holds its own constellation in the sky."_

_"I'd never noticed before." Not for a lack of trying in his case. He had always been obsessed with the stars, but the stars that were alight now held no correlation to any constellation he had seen before._

_" There are five seals protecting this world, each represented by these clusters of stars." As Sai said this, the blue cluster faded until a patch of blackness replaced it in the sky. "The seal of water has already been broken."_

_Something clicked in Rowen's mind. Something Sai had said in the forest that day…_

_The seals will fall…._

_"You mean… You were the seal of water…?"_

_"That is correct. In life I had never realized it."_

_"I still don't understand. What does that have to do with anything? And what happens if all the seals are destroyed?"_

_" Human life on this planet will cease to exist." _

_" H-how is that possible?!"_

_" Without the protection of these seals, the powers of the elements cannot be contained. Or, moreover, they can be easily manipulated. Even so, the destructive powers of these elements could be beneficial to this planet's future."_

_"What are you saying? That the death of mankind is in the best interest of the future?!"_

_"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. The answer in not black and white, but rather a culmination of the both. Life will lead to destruction. Destruction will lead to new life. Both are possible outcomes. Neither outcome is any less evil or good than the other."_

_" That's not true. There is no redeeming idea behind the death of mankind."_

_"Is this because you yourself have come to this conclusion?"_

_" No. It's because it's the only option that makes sense."_

_Sai shook his head, still smiling. " Just because you maintain something to be true does not mean that it is in fact true. The real truth is that mankind will be mankind's own downfall. Also, that in order for this planet to survive indefinitely mankind must be eliminated. There is no evil, and conversely there is no good in either option. They are, after all, just options."_

_"Then what is good and what is evil?"_

_" There is no clear answer to that. Justification all depends on perspective. You maintain that vanquishing evil is for the good of the Earth, but who is to say that that is true? Who is to say that that path is truly justified? There is no answer to this; rather it's something you must decide for yourself." Sai was quiet for a moment, and the colorful stars that had lit up the sky all vanished. The waves once again pounded against the shore. The beach was lit up with light colors of blue, taupe, green…. And Sai was gone._

_"S-sai…? Sai?! Where are you?"_

_"There's no time left. You must decide what is most important to you…" Sai's voice faded and, for a moment, Rowen was alone on the beach; then just as quickly the scenery faded into black, and Rowen could feel his whole body shaking within the newly formed darkness. He could hear someone calling his name…_

Xxxxxxx

"Rowen, you're snoring." Rowen heard a voice say and he immediately sat up, glancing around at unfamiliar scenery. He had expected to see his room but instead…

"W-when did we get here…?" Shelves of books were everywhere; the smell of them was almost suffocating. The National library… Of course, he'd been there plenty of times. But he couldn't remember how or why he had gone there this particular time.

" We've been here for hours. You were the one who dragged me out here." Seiji was leaning aside of the table where Rowen was, idly tapping his fingers. " I didn't really argue because I wanted to get you out of the house." He was studying the blue-haired boy intently, brows furrowing. "And then I go to the bathroom for two minutes and you fall asleep on me."

"….." Rowen was silent. He remembering having dreamt something, but the whole thing became further and further out of reach. He looked around at the table he was sitting at. Books were spread out everywhere, open to various pages. He hadn't remembered picking them out or opening them…

"Hey, are you okay?"

"Y-yea, I'm fine…" He glanced at the titles. 'Celestial Wonders', 'Myths and Legends', 'Elemental Deities', 'Earth in the Balance'….. None of them were remotely familiar… " I'm just a little out of it. Don't worry about it."

Seiji said nothing to that, but kept note of the almost frantic way Rowen was flipping through the books and glancing at the titles. "So remind me. What are we doing here again?"

"I'm looking for something…" He flipped through book after book until finally he stopped. It was in 'Myths and Legends'; a picture of five clusters of stars lit up in colors. Indigo, blue, Orange, Red and Green… He could just vaguely remember….

…_each represent an element…. Strata, water, earth, fire and light…._

As hard as he tried to remember, nothing else would come. Those same words repeated themselves in his mind; no more, no less…

"And _I'm_ bored out of my skull. Can we go now?" He could tell Rowen was ignoring him and so he said, in a more whiny voice, " C'mon! I'm bored and I'm Hooongry!!" Not even a rise from the other. He stared intently at him; at the way his fingertip traced the words on the page.

" 'The seals of the Apocalypse'…"

Seiji heard Rowen say this quietly and he looked down, leaning over his shoulder to peek at whatever it was he was reading. "What was that last part?"

"I think… I think Sai tried to warn me…" Rowen was staring at the page, eyes unblinking. Those stars…

" …Rowen?" No response. Seiji put a hand on Rowen's shoulder. The boy was shaking beneath him, and he in turn shook his shoulder a little. " Hey, Come on Rowen, you're freaking me out."

" Seiji, I…" He paused, looking around nervously. People were looking at them; from all sides people were watching and Rowen shuddered, closing his eyes. A tear slid down his cheek.

"Rowen…" Seiji whispered quietly, smoothing down the other's hair. " … What's wrong with you…?"

Rowen jumped up from his chair then, slinging his arms around the other's neck and burying his head in his shoulder. " … I just want to go home now, so please…"

It was instinctual; the way Seiji's arms encircled him. " Okay, okay, calm down." Rowen was crying, and Seiji could feel the other's fingertips tighten their grip on his shirt. Slowly, he guided the other to the door, whispering little phrases that he wasn't quite sure he meant. 'It's okay', ' You're going to be fine', but nothing seemed to cheer the other up. He stayed that way, buried in Seiji's shoulder, even as they got into the car; even as they drove off, heading back towards the cabin.

xxxxxxx

It was just beginning to get dark, and the moon was already alight in the sky, fighting for dominance over the sun. Ryo sat in Kento's room, staring at it from the window. Dim traces of sunlight still sent colors rippling across the ocean waters in the distance. Dim beams of light made visible every speck of dust that floated about in the air. Wildfire sighed, turning around to look at Kento, who was staring up at the ceiling.

" Feeling any better?" Ryo grinned, stretching a little before rising to his feet. " I know you were sleeping before, but I figured you wouldn't mind the company." He walked over to the other, plopping down aside of him at the end of the bed.

Kento smiled a little, weakly, and tried to say something, but nothing intelligible came out. Ryo shook his head, patting the other's shoulder.

"I wouldn't try to say anything for a while. At least, until the doctor comes back in a couple days." Kento sighed, and Ryo could see the look of frustration in his eyes. But it was more than that even. Kento looked absolutely defeated. "Hey, it's okay. We haven't given up hope yet. I mean, we've been trying for years to get you to shut up, and it's never stuck before." Another grin, but Kento really didn't seem all that amused.

"Sorry, I was just trying to ease the tension.. But, while you're awake, can I get you anything?" Kento motioned for a pen and paper. Ryo opened the drawer beside the other's bed, producing the required items, and placing them aside of the other. " I planned ahead."

Hardrock took the pen and jotted down a quick little message which, while Kento's handwriting was deplorable under normal circumstances, was exceptionally deplorable in his current state. There were only three words, " Where is Sai?"

"…He's dead." Ryo could see the mixed feelings in Kento's eyes. He was upset… but a little bit of relief still managed to make itself noticed. " I don't blame you if that makes you feel any better. What he did to you was horrible… Still, I can't help but wonder why he'd do it.."

Kento scribbled some more down and Ryo had to strain his eyes to read it: " Do you think it's because I made him mad?"

"That might've had something to do with it, but I don't think that's what set him off. It had to be something else…" The door slammed from below them, and Ryo could hear Seiji yelling while footsteps darted up the stairs. " I think Seiji and Rowen are back. I'll come check on you later, okay?" Kento nodded, eyes settling for staring up at the ceiling as Ryo dashed out of the room in time to see Rowen slam the door to his. Seiji was behind him, too slow to make it inside before the lock sounded from the other side. The blonde banged on the door, calling out..

"Rowen! Come on, open the door! I'm just trying to help you!!" There was no response and so with a final kick, he turned away, storming back towards the steps. " Damn it.."

" What was that all about?" Ryo quirked a brow, only his head sticking out from the doorway.

" I don't know. I don't even know what's wrong with him anymore…" He kept walking, as if he didn't intend to stop and talk to Ryo, but called back over his shoulder. " Everyone else is trying to move on, but HE refuses. He just keeps on dwelling on it."

" Seiji…!" The blonde was already halfway down the stairs. " Hey, wait a minute!" Ryo chased after the other, who plopped down onto the couch, face-first. " What happened to make you say that?" He was standing behind the couch, staring at Seiji who crossed his arms in front of him and rest his forehead on them.

" Well, first off--" The sound was muffled, from the was his head was positioned against the seat cushion. "This morning, he was just acting weird. He woke me up and asked me to drive him to the library--"

"What's so weird about that?"

" It's not that he asked me really…" Seiji flipped around so that he was on his back, legs draping over an arm of the couch. " It was just the way he asked me… I mean, I don't know… it just didn't sound like him. He was real quiet, kind of cold…"

"I guess he's still dwelling…" Ryo suggested, still staring down at the other, whose violet eyes were looking towards the television, though it wasn't on.

"That's what I thought, too… But then he just freaked out."

" What do you mean?"

" I don't know. He seemed okay one minute, and the next he looked petrified; he just started crying and asking me to take him home…" A sigh. " I don't know what to do anymore…"

"I don't think there's anything you can do; at least not until he gets over what happened to Sai."

" I think there's something more than that. He was looking at some kind of book. He said that Sai tried to warn him.. I think he's starting to lose it."

"Maybe he's just sick. You said he hasn't been eating for the past few days."

"Maybe. He fell asleep on the way back from the library and sweat so much, the entire passenger seat is soaked. Like someone poured a bucket of water on it or something."

"Gross. Well the doctor will be back in a couple days."

"Yea…" They were both quiet then, and Ryo tapped his fingertips on the back of the couch, looking for something to say.

"I'm sorry." He finally managed to get out, still looking down at the other. A single eye opened, not visible beneath that trademark tuft of blonde.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" He supposed he'd said that a bit more brashly than he intended, but he made no effort to correct himself.

"I don't know. I know you're trying to help him and I'm just sorry that things aren't working out the way you wanted them to…"

"The story of my life, isn't it?" Seiji grinned, but the look was anything but reassuring, and Ryo sighed, walking towards the kitchen.

" I have a pot of water on the stove. Do you want some tea?"

"Nah." Seiji fished for the remote that rested on the coffee table and flicked the TV on. It was almost eight o'clock, and a reminder popped up, "Looney Tunes"… Normally Seiji would complain until Rowen would finally concede and change the channel to something less mentally degrading (much to his dismay) but tonight, Seiji left it on; It was duck season… or was it rabbit season… either way, the picture incited good memories. He could see Rowen smiling; laughing, his eyes alight as those colorful characters darted about on the screen. And for just a moment, he was content.

Xxxxxxx

"There's got to be a connection…" Rowen mumbled, frantically jotting down notes, circling words, drawing little arrows…" The armors, the elements, the star patterns…" He stopped in mid sentence, putting down his pencil and putting a hand to head. The panic he had felt at the library was gone and instead replaced by a different sort of fear…

He had dreamt again, in the car on the way home, and this time he had remembered..

_It was the beach, at nighttime. He could tell by the way the air touched his skin and by the sound the waves made as they crashed against the shore. A figure floated above the water a distance out from the shore and somehow Rowen knew it was Sai. _

_"Sai…?" He called, talking a few steps towards the water. " Sai, is that you?" He heard a voice then, over the sounds of the waves and the light breeze that floated across his ears.._

_"Long ago, humanity killed his lover, and sealed away his powers in five separate pieces -- the five armors of the Yoroiden. The warriors didn't know it, but they alone held the keys that could destroy all that mankind had worked so hard to build. The five warriors were separated then, divided among five different parts of the Earth; but this solution was only temporary; for if the demon should ever obtain the orbs that contained his powers, the seals would be broken and the spell undone… and his revenge upon mankind would begin…"_

_"Sai…?" It was his voice he heard… But the words didn't make any sense. It was as though the Brit were reading him a fairytale… He finally reached the edge of the water, shivering as it swelled and receeded across his feet. He took a few more steps out until his feet were submerged; then his knees; then his waist; and before he knew it he was swimming out to meet the other._

_" The Earth will soon breathe again; one seal has fallen and now… I'm waiting for you, Rowen of Strata…"_

_The current was strong and he felt his arms tiring quickly against the resistance. But he was so close. Sai was close that he could Rowen could see auburn strands glistening with the moonlight that collected there; so he pushed himself. His breath burned in his chest but he forced himself forward, in hopes that he would reach him; so that maybe he could say the things he had meant to…_

_But he couldn't make it. A wave struck and he felt himself rise and fall with the water until he was being forced under. He struggled, but the water kept pushing him down, despite how hard his arms were trying to pull him to the surface. He could see shattered pieces of moonlight along the surface of the water growing dimmer and dimmer as he descended. He tried to call to Sai, the screams muffled to his own ears. The water was chocking him; killing him. His strength began to fail him and he could feel his eyes close; he could feel his chest sting as the water filled his lungs; and before his eyes went black, he could hear that voice again, resounding in his head…_

_"I'm waiting for you…."_

He looked down at what he had written then, hand still upon his head. He had dreamt his own death. And when he had woken up, he could still smell the ocean water all around him; he could taste it on his lips. Something was definitely happening but he didn't know why or how..

"If the armors are involved…" He looked over towards his phone which rest on his nightstand.

"….then maybe she would know something…" He stared at the phone for a minute or two before standing and walking over towards his bed. He picked up the phone, dialing her number, and praying that she would answer…

xxxxxxx

She was at her desk when she received the call. Her eyes drooped. The computer monitor in front of her did nothing but drive her closer and closer to sleep. But she wouldn't let that happen. Her dissertation wasn't anywhere near finished and with the deadline looming over her head, she dare not sleep until it was completed. She looked over at the clock. It was eleven in the morning, which meant she hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours. She sighed, leaning back against her chair, stretching her arms over her head. "This is impossible…"

"Mia?" A voice sounded from behind her and she spun around in her chair to see who it was that called her. A man stood there, in a white lab coat, glasses halfway down his nose. He shook his head, giving her a weird sort of look. "Are you still here? This is where I left you last night. And those are the clothes you were wearing, if I remember correctly."

She grinned a little, leaning against the back of her chair and rubbing her eyes as if to prove how tired she actually was. " Oh, Professor Heckinger! Yea, I know. This whole dissertation thing has me a little high-strung. I promise I'll go home and get some rest, as soon as I'm done here."

" Heh. You always over-exert yourself. But why should I expect anything less from Baimbridge's most prized pupil."

"You're not talking about me, are you?" She grinned, turning her chair back towards the computer monitor, fingertips on the keyboard. Damn, she hated writers' block…

"Anyway, don't forget to take it easy, give yourself a little time to relax." That's when the phone rang. Mia looked over to the professor with a shrug. He waved his hand, offering a quick, " I'll see you in class later." before walking towards the door.

"Yea. See you later." She said this quickly before picking up the phone. " Good morning, Baimbridge University records office, can I help you?"

_" H-hey, Mia…? It's Rowen…"_

"Rowen? I didn't expect to be hearing from you. What is it, Nine at night over there?"

_" Yea. I know it's still early where you are. I don't mean to bother you, it's just that…"_

"Just that… what?" She said softly, silently glad for the interruption of her work. "Are you okay? You don't sound like yourself…"

_"I know, I'm sorry… I'm just really stressed out about a lot of things right now…"_

There was something about the way he said everything… Mia could tell something was bothering him, but he wasn't coming out and saying it. She could only assume that it was… "Ryo called me a week ago and told me what happened. I'm really sorry about Sai. It's a real tragedy…"

_" Yea, thank you…"_

There was silence for a bit then, until Mia broke it with, " I take it that's not what you're calling about though, so what's up? Is everything going alright for you otherwise?"

_"…Not exactly…"_

He was being somewhat evasive, trying his best not to directly answer questions, and this only worried her more. She thought about what to say next before she spoke to him again. " You know, I can't help you if you won't tell me what's wrong…"

_"It's just that…. God, you're going to think I'm crazy…"_

She wanted to laugh at that, but the serious tone Rowen was taking kept her calm, and she responded with equal tranquility, " After what I went through with you guys before, I'm not sure anything you could say would seem all that crazy…" She heard him chuckle a bit and was glad for it. He sounded as though he were a mess…

_" I think something is going on around here. Something… bad."_

She quirked a brow. " What do you mean?"

_"I'm not sure. Before Sai died that night in the woods, he was trying to tell me something. Something about 'the seals will fall'… but he was in such a daze that he didn't explain what that meant. And then just earlier today I had a dream about him. He was telling me something about the seals, and…"_

She heard Rowen's voice crack and heard him trying his best to fight back sobs. "Rowen, it's only natural you would think about him. After what you went through-"

_"But then when I woke up after the dream, I was in the library, and… God, Mia, I don't know how I got there or why, but when I woke up, I was surrounded by these books… and then I read something about these seals… I didn't know why the book was there or how I had gotten it, but the same thing I dreamt was in there.. It's almost as if something had drawn me there…"_

Mia was quiet, merely listening to the other. She felt herself shudder, and she was sure it was from the haunting way Rowen's voice kept wavering…

_" A-anyway, I keep having these dreams… I can't remember them for the most part, but I know Sai is there, and I'm trying to reach him but then, I…."_

"Rowen, what is it? Tell me what's wrong."

_"I keep seeing myself die… I think Sai saw it to, and I think he tried to warn me…I'm so scared Mia…"_

She swallowed hard. He sounded so shaken.. " Come on, Rowen, calm down.. I'm sure you're just overreacting. Have you told Ryo or Seiji about this?"

_" I can't… They both think that I'm obsessing over Sai's death…"_

"Is it possible that they're right?" Mia asked, saving her file, and shutting off her computer. Her dissertation would have to wait until later. She needed a rest after this..

_"You know me Mia. I saw myself fucking __**die**__. I wouldn't make something like that up. .. But that's not what I called about. I need a favor."_

"You name it." She said, taking out a pen, and pressing the tip against a piece of paper.

_" You still have the information your grandfather kept on the armors, right? I need you to look something up for me."_

"Sure. What do you want me to look for?"

_"I'm not exactly sure. See if you can find anything on 'the seals of Apocalypse'. That's all I can remember…"_

She jotted that down, and folded up the paper, sticking it in her pocket. " Okay, got it. I'll look that up for you as soon as I can. In the mean time, maybe you should get some rest. You don't sound too good."

_" Yea… You're right. Thank you Mia… And please, call me as soon as you find anything."_

"Don't worry! I'll call you back soon, okay? Promise me you'll try to calm down until then."

_"Alright. I promise. Goodbye."_

"Bye." And with that, she hung up, resting her head in a hand while her other hand tapped the desktop with the pen she was holding. " 'Seals of Apocalypse'…? I hope he's just being paranoid… Anyway, sleep comes first. He'll just have to wait a little while longer…" She dropped the pen and flicked the little lamp on her desk off, standing with a stretch. Yes. Sleep definitely came first.

xxxxxxx

It was around ten o'clock when Seiji walked back up to Rowen's room. He had a cup of soup in one hand and knocked lightly on the door. " Rowen? I'm coming in." He wasn't asking, for fear that if given the option, Rowen would refuse him. He opened the door slowly and stepped inside. Rowen was at his desk, scribbling away at something and mumbling under his breath. "Hey, are you okay now? You were acting pretty strange earlier…" He didn't say anything; merely continued to mumble to himself. " Although, upon further inspection this is pretty strange, too…Anyway, I brought you some soup. You haven't eaten anything in a while, so I thought--"

"Something happening, Seiji." He said it, and there was conviction in his voice, far different from the mumbling he'd been doing when Seiji first walked in.

"What… what are you talking about?" The blonde stammered, walking a little closer to Rowen, setting the soup down on his dresser.

"Sai was trying to warn me… He knew something bad was going to happen…"

Seiji sighed. " Not this again…"

Rowen turned around to look at the other. "Why don't you believe me…? I'm telling you the truth. He said it that night in the woods, and now I have these dreams…"

"Damnit, Rowen, I'm tired of being patient with you." The words were venomous, despite how quietly Seiji had said them, and Rowen couldn't help but look at him with a bit of hurt in his eyes.

" Seiji…"

"You're going to trust the words of a madman?"

"You don't understand…"

"Understand that even though he's dead, he's still killing you? Look at yourself Rowen."

Rowen was taken aback, and he shook his head, turning back towards the notes he had been working on. But Seiji wouldn't take no for an answer. He grabbed the other underneath the arms, forcing him out of the chair. He grabbed his waist just as forcefully, pulling him so that he was facing the mirror connected to his dresser.

"I said look at yourself, god damnit!" Rowen was trying his best to avoid eye contact with himself, so Seiji grabbed his head, forcing him mto look straight ahead at the mirror. " You wonder why I'm so mad, when you just stay up in your room, wasting away like this." It was true. The blue-haired boy's face was gaunt; his normally sunny complexion was now tawny; sickly looking in the dim light of the room. Rowen looked at the way his cheeks sagged, at the decolonization beneath his eyes and felt tears coming on. Seiji was holding him in place hard. So hard in fact that it hurt.

"Please, let go of me…"

"I just want you to be like you were, Rowen. Everyday you become less and less like yourself, and I hate it."Rowen was looking at Seiji's visible eye reflected in the mirror; it had misted up, and Rowen was sure that Seiji would cry, but of course he didn't. He would never let himself do _that_. " I keep thinking that maybe one day you'll just walk out of here, big smile on your face and that everything'll be back to normal… But when I look at you, things just keep getting worse; all because of that fucking--"

Rowen forced himself away from Seiji then, walking back towards his desk, where he put his hands down. " I can't be like I was… Not until this is all sorted out." He turned to look at Seiji, wiping ceruleans with the back of his hand. Seiji was looking right at him; no, right through him seemed more like it… They stayed there, eye to eye before seiji responded with,

"I… I just want my friend back."

The softness and sincerity of his tone almost mode Rowen crumble. He shut his eyes, turning his head away. " I think you should just go for now… Please… Just leave me alone."

Seiji didn't say anything to that. He just about threw his hands in the air before turning around, walking out of the room, and slamming the door behind him. Hard. Rowen felt little pieces of dust fall from the ceiling, but he didn't move to shake them off. He was frozen in place.

"What a mess…"

xxxxxxx

Midnight. The moon was at its apex in the sky and filled Seiji's room with soft light. His arms were crossed behind his head and he was staring up at the ceiling, his mind completely empty; detached. He was cold, a light breeze flooding his room with the sweet scent of seaspray. But his senses were dead to that; his eyes remained unblinking at the shadows that danced along the ceiling.

_Why don't you believe me? I'm telling you the truth! He said it that night in the woods, and now I'm having these dreams…._

Rowen's words repeated themselves in his head, and he rolled on his side, covering his ears as if to block it, to no avail.

"It shouldn't have ended up like this. Sai, you really fucked things up…" He was so mad; but what was more infuriating is that he'd never get to express how angry he was to the one that mattered. A sigh, and he sat up, rubbing at the back of his head. The cold had finally gotten to him, so he stood with a yawn, slumping over to the window. He was shirtless and little goosebumps popped up everywhere on his skin. He slammed the window shut with a shudder… and paused. A car door sounded out front and he gazed back out the window in time to see the headlights of the jeep turn on and then the vehicle pulled out of the driveway and sped off into the night.

"Please don't tell me…." He groaned, quickly grabbing a shirt from his closet before stepping out into the hallway. He knocked hard on Ryo's door as he headed to Rowen's room, buttoning the shirt in his wake. "Rowen?!" He called shoving the door open so hard he thought it might fly off the hinges. He prayed that maybe Ryo had taken the car out for some inane reason and that Rowen would still be sleeping peacefully in bed… But his bed was empty, and a few seconds later, he heard the door to Ryo's room open. The dark-haired boy stepped out into the hall, stumbling over to where Seiji stood while rubbing at his eyes.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" He murmured, barely conscious.

"He's gone. He took the jeep, and now he's gone… fuck!" He wasn't normally used to cursing, but today felt like one of those days. He was searching the room frantically, on the off chance that Rowen was in the closet, under the bed… But he knew that he wouldn't be. His coat was gone, his bed unmade. "Where would he go at this time of night…?!"

The weight of the situation finally dawned on Ryo then, and he mustered an, " …Oh my God…! Where do you think he went? The woods?"

Seiji was still looking around, nothing on the bed, the soup he had offered earlier still sat on the dresser untouched, and on the desk… That's where he found it. There were papers everywhere. Words, arrows, descriptions… Rowen was mapping out something; like he was trying to make a connection to something. The words, 'Seal of apocalypse' were in the center of a paper, different lines connecting different things to it in a sort of web pattern. The connections extended out from the center, the circles getting smaller and smaller, until ending at the beach.. The pattern repeated for three other sections of the word web. Seiji shook his head, turning to Ryo. " No, I don't think he's in the woods… C'mon."

He headed out of the room with a confused and somewhat grumpy Ryo trailing behind him. "Where are we going?"

"We have to get to the beach." He looked at the paper again. In parenthasis above the word beach in three separate locations, the word 'death' was underlined and Seiji felt himself shudder, unconsciously fearful of what they would encounter once they got there… "I think… we don't have much time…"

Xxxxxxx

It was the beach, at nighttime. He could tell by the way the air touched his skin and the sound the waves made as they crashed against the shore. The moon was hanging in the sky, as if only a few feet above the water; as if at any second the ocean would engulf it.

He looked around, and was vaguely aware of having been here before.. " The beach again…" He glanced around. The high beams from the jeep sent their light across the sand, sparkling, as if there were diamonds buried somewhere close to the surface. He looked out towards the water. He didn't know why he thought it, but he was convinced Sai was out there somewhere.

"Sai..?" He called the name lightly, walking out towards the shore with a hand to his forehead. The wind was strong, wipping his hair about his face. He was wearing only his pajamas, and the chill of the air seemed exceptionally cold. "He called the other's name again, louder this time, so as not to let the wind carry it away this time. "Sai! Are you there?"

And then he heard it. The voice rang softly across the beach and when he glanced out towards the horizon, there was Sai, floating above the water. His arms were outstretched, a sort of half-smile on his face. "I'm waiting for you, Rowen", he said. Rowen smiled, and took a step forward into the water, submerging his feet. This time he would make it. He wanted nothing more than to see Sai again…

"I'm waiting for you, Rowen…" The voice called again. He stepped in a little further. His knees were submerged, then his waist and soon, he was swimming out towards where Sai stood above the water on the horizon. The ocean was tumultuous; the wind, the moon's position; both were driving the waters mad. As he swam, the water would rise above his head, and for ten seconds at a time he would hold his breath and fight his way through the current. He was determined this time, and even as his chest and arms began to burn, he forced himself on. He wouldn't fail this time…

xxxxxxx

He didn't know how long he had been running. He could feel his pulse at his temples and was vaguely aware of Ryo running behind him. But he didn't wait for him. The woods began to subside and the beach spread out in front of them. The moon's luminescence gave the sand an ethereal sort of look, but it was wasted on Seiji. His eyes looked across the beach for some sort of sign that Rowen was there… and that's when he saw it. The jeep parked in the sand. The headlights were still on, the door was wide open… It was as if Rowen was in a hurry…

He ran over to it, looking around the area. "Rowen!!" He called, eyes frantic. He couldn't see him anywhere. " Rowen, this isn't funny, where are you?!" Nothing. He searched the ground for footprints and found some, barely visible from the wind blowing about the sand. They headed towards the shoreline and Seiji turned backwards, calling out to Ryo above the howling wind. "He went this way!"

And then he was running again. The sand slowed him down. His feet kept sinking in as he headed towards where the land met the water, following the footprints. He got closer and closer… until they finally stopped at the edge of the water. There were none going back. He hadn't turned around..

"Oh God, ROWEN!!" He called again, eyes scanning the water. The moon lit up the ocean, sure, but the waves made visibility next to nothing. He was squinting, scouring the horizon as best he could, until finally, he saw him. He was swimming further and further out, the waves pulling him up and down at their whim. "Rowen, come back here!!" He called out as loud as he could, but his words fell on deaf ears; the wind and the pounding of the waves made it impossible to get his message to the other.

Ryo finally caught up out of breath, resting his hands on his knees with heavy breaths. " Did… (huff)… did you find him yet…?"

"He's out there in this." Seiji pointed as best he could before throwing off his shoes, and tossing his shirt to the sand. "I have to go after him."

"But Seiji--!"

"I have to Ryo. Call the police. My cell phone should be charging in the jeep."

"Seiji, please…!"

"Just do it!" He commanded before jumping into the water, swimming as fast as he could. The water was freezing and despite the state of mind he was in, he was still able to notice it. His teeth chattered and refused to stop despite how hard he had to work to stay afloat with the waves pounding into him. The taste of seawater was on his lips and in his nose and he had to fight to keep himself from coughing. For awhile, he could see Rowen, struggling to stay afloat, but still moving forward as if being pulled by some invisible force.

Seiji was calling to him, even though water splashed across his mouth, and the wind worked to his disadvantage. He was closing the gap and for a time Seiji thought he would reach him. But a wave passed by the blue haired boy, and Seiji stayed above the water just long enough to see Rowen's head disappear beneath it._ No…!_ He thought, forcing himself to resurface, pulling himself through the waves until he felt he had just about closed the gap between them.

"Rowen!" He called out once, looking around him for any sign that the other might still be afloat. When he received no answer, he began to panick. He submerged himself, opening his eyes as much as he could, feeling around for the other. He had been under for nearly two minutes already …

His first sweep proved to be useless and he called out the other's name again upon resurfacing, to once again receive no answer. His hope was dwindling and he fought back the urge to cry in his desperation. He repeated this process again and again. Three minutes had gone by. Then four. His arms were burning, his chest was on fire, and his eyes were still looking frantically about in the hopes that he would find him. He had nearly lost hope when he submerged himself once more, hands feeling around… That's when he caught ahold of something; it felt like hair. He swam a little closer to it, hands blindly feeling about until he made contact with skin, his clothes.. He grabbed onto the other and together they resurfaced. He had found him.

However, they were already so far out. The current was so strong; he was tired, and the extra weight he now carried threatened to pull him under. His mind told him to give up; that there was no way possible he'd be able to continue in his condition… but he wouldn't accept that. Slinging Rowen's arms about his neck he forced himself to swim towards the shore. He could barely see Ryo above the water, swinging his arms wildly on the shore.

_It can't end like this… It can't…_ He kept thinking to himself, forcing his tired limbs to advance. The shore grew closer and closer, and for a moment or two, the burns and the aching disappeared. Even the wind and the sound of the water subsided until all he could hear was his own breath and heartbeat. He would make it to the shore. He wouldn't lose Rowen like this…

The last few feet felt like miles and when a wave finally lifted them up and tossed them onto the shore, he let Rowen hit the sand, and fell onto his hands and knees, breathing heavy, his whole body burning. He just needed to catch his breath.

"Jesus, Seiji, that was stupid! Are you alright?! Is he alright?!"

Seiji, having taken enough time to catch his breath, turned to Rowen, his lips were dark. His skin was tacky with ocean water, his head was tilted sideways towards the sand. His whole body was glistening with moisture. Seiji crawled over to him, shaking him by the shoulders. "Rowen..?! Rowen, wake up!" Nothing. The boy was silent. Seiji placed an ear over his mouth. He felt nothing. He heard nothing. " No, no, no…" He put his head on the other's chest. His heart had stopped beating. "No, please God, tell me this isn't happening…"

Ryo took a step back, looking down with wide eyes. " Is… Is he…"

"Don't you dare say that. Did you call the ambulence?!" He said this as he was pressing on Rowen's chest, putting his lips to the other's and breathing, and repeating the process. " God, don't die on me…"

" They're on there way… Is he going to be alright…?"

Seiji wasn't answering. He kept repeating that process, every so often checking for a pulse, a breath, something…

"Seiji…?"

He still didn't stop. Six minutes had already gone by. The blonde was out of breath. His arms refused to move anymore. He was looking down at Rowen, his eyes were still closed, his lips still that dark color. Still, the way the moonlight hit him made him look so beautiful. Seiji took a moment to catch his breath. His cheeks were stained with tears that he hadn't remembered shedding. "This can't be how it ends…" He choked, aiming to try again, when..

"Seiji…. I think… I think he's…"

"Don't say it, Ryo. Don't you fucking say it!!"

"Please, Seiji… He's already dead. Look at him…"

"He's not dead. If I just…" He was looking down at him, out of breath. He tried to lift his arms but they just wouldn't move. " If I can just…" He was looking at the blue-haired boy's face. Solemn. Peaceful almost. The tears welled up in his eyes and for the first time for as long as he could remember… He wept. Somehow, his hand found it's way into the other's, and he held onto it, though there was no counter squeeze. The body beneath him was completely unresponsive..

"This can't be how it ends… Rowen…?" The blonde couldn't fight it anymore and collapsed ontop of the other, crying pathetically. After all that, after everything… " **ROWEN!!"**

Strata was dead.

xxxxxxx

Author's note: Finally, chapter two can be crossed off of my list. I'm really sorry about the delay. Classes started at the beginning of this month and really prevented me from finishing the ending. Well, that and I didn't really have any motivation. So please, read and review, people! It's the only thing that keeps me going!!

Anyway, I'm sure plenty of you right now are thinking, " WTF, NOOOO!!" This chapter for me was the hardest one to write because I love Rowen, I love Seiji, and I love the two of them together. But alas, for this story to play out it was necessary for Rowen to die. I tried my best to fill in a few more of the holes, but not too many. You should be starting to pick up in everything about now, but I still wanted to leave you with a bit of mystery.

Anyway, the third chapter , entitled "Rock Crumbles" shouldn't take me nearly as long to complete, seeing as it's only going to be about half the length as this one; probably the shortest chapter in the series. A couple more holes will be filled, but you'll have to stick around until chapter four to understand everything.

Love it or hate it, here it is. So please, give me feedback, and I look forward to seeing you all again in the near future. Goodbye and Goodnight.

KC


	3. Rock Crumbles

Rock Crumbles

Original Ronin Warriors Fanfiction by KC

As always, the characters belong to their creators and not to me… regretfully…

xxxxxxx

_"I just don't see what you get out of all of it…" Seiji shrugged, turning his attention back to the newspaper he'd been reading, leaving a pouting Rowen sitting on the floor cross-legged in front of him._

_"You just don't understand the complexities of the genre."_

_Seiji quirked a brow, lowering his paper once again. "Big words for someone who's talking about cartoons." If Rowen could've pouted any harder he would have, looking at Seiji with puppy-dog eyes. The blonde fought back the urge to smile at the other, settling instead on a more stoic, uninterested look. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry." He folded up his paper and set it aside of him before sliding off the couch so that he was next to the blue-haired boy on the floor.. "Now, tell me Grand-master Hashiba, what's going on in this one?" He pointed to the screen, where a skunk was chasing around a cat that had been painted to _look_ like a skunk. Rowen's eyes were alight after he'd asked, as though he'd been given the chance to shine in his element. Seiji couldn't resist the urge to grin any longer and flashed the boy a wisp of a smile. _

_"That's Pepe le Pew. He's chasing around that cat because she had a bucket of paint spill on her and now she looks like a skunk, so he's in love with her."_

_"…..That's…. interesting." Seiji feigned attention, more occupied by Rowen than whatever zaniness he was trying to explain. _

_Rowen mock scowled at Seiji, who wasn't looking at the TV. "Hey, are you even paying attention?"_

_"Of course I am." He glanced at the screen to make a quick observation. " I just don't get why she's running so fast and he's skipping around and catching up to her so easily."_

_"You can't think about stuff like that! It'll ruin the effect." Rowen lay back so that his head rest against the couch, legs stretched out on the floor in front of him. _

_"I'll trust you on that one.." Seiji found himself looking at the other again. The blue-haired boy was watching the screen intently, a blank sort of look on his face, like a kid who had just woken up to watch Saturday cartoons. He didn't know why it affected him so strongly, but he found himself unable to look away. Rowen looked over in time to catch him staring, and so Seiji turned his head to the TV, as though he hadn't looked away in the first place. He was flustered and embarrassed, and confused by both emotions._

_"Hey, you okay?" Rowen said from aside of him, giving him a weird sort of look._

_"Yea, I'm fine.." _

_"You're just a little red is all. Got a fever or something?" Rowen put a hand to the blonde's forehead only to discover that his temperature was relatively normal. He shrugged then and looked back towards the TV. Of course, Seiji wasn't feeling fevered at all, though his cheeks burned as though he was; a blush so fierce he felt it would consume his entire face…_

_"So what's the point to all of this? So the skunk is chasing a cat. So what?" He took the opportunity to inch ever so slightly closer to the other boy while he was mesmerized by the TV, placing his hand aside of his so that their pinkie fingers were just touching. _

_"The skunk represents unconditional love, while the cat-turned-skunk could be interpreted as either fear of commitment, or the need for escape one might feel when involved in a suffocating relationship." Rowen stated matter-of-factly._

_"… You just made that up." Seiji said flatly, looking at the other with eyes that matched his vocal expressiveness._

_"Well, in any case, the lesson is love inevitably leads to frustration, exhaustion, and-" _

_Rowen had stopped talking, and for a moment or two Seiji just stared at him. The blue-haired boy had started to blush and in turn, Seiji could feel his own cheeks burning. It was then that he was finally able to muster a meager, " W-what's wrong?" He swallowed, though it did little to ease the sudden nervousness that overcame him._

_"Your hand.." Rowen started. Seiji looked at his hand, and found it entangled within the other boy's. He hadn't remembered doing it, even though he could feel Rowen's pulse where their fingers met. He looked up at him, wide-eyed, mouth agape, unable to speak._

_"….Seiji…?" Rowen said softly, as if to break the other from his thoughts._

_But that would be impossible. Seiji was looking directly into the other's eyes and trying to sort out all of the things he felt; Those awkward emotions he only experienced when the two of them touched. Uneasiness, but not unpleasant.. He decided then , and with no warning pulled Rowen towards him and kissed him. _

_Rowen was tense, and Seiji could tell; but it didn't stop the blue-haired boy from tightening the grip he had on his hand, he didn't shy away when Seiji's free hand entangled itself in his hair; and it most certainly didn't stop him from tilting his head to allow Seiji better access to his lips._

_Seiji felt the other's eyelashes brush against his cheek, as though he'd closed his eyes, and for just a minute…_

_xxxxxxx_

…He was happy. That was, until the weight of the situation once again managed to bring him back to reality. Rowen was gone, and as much as the idea pained him, he wished the memory of him gone as well. Not for a lack of love, but rather in a feeble attempt to salvage his own heart.

Seiji lay sprawled out on the couch. The television was on in front of him, but it was nothing but static; and while there was no action on the screen, he was content to watch the little dots of black, white, and grey dance about . It was around eleven o' clock then, and while he was trying his best to forget, he kept on thinking that at about this time, a PJ clad Rowen would've come bounding down the steps and rushed straight for the remote.

"You never did tell me how he caught up to her so fast…" He mused quietly to himself as Ryo entered, nursing a cup of coffee. From the redness of his eyes and the watermarks that stained his cheeks, it was obvious that he had been crying.

" What's on?" Ryo asked. It was an attempt to lighten the mood, but it failed horribly.

" Nothin'. Didn't pay the cable." Seiji's response was simple, and he didn't bother to sit up, or glance in the other's direction.

"Oh." Ryo responded with equal enthusiasm, sitting down on the arm of the couch by Seiji's head. There was silence for a minute or two before Seiji looked up at Ryo with just his eyes.

"You wanted something?" It came out cold, though he hadn't meant it to. However, he made no effort to correct himself.

"…Not really, no.." Another awkward silence passed. "Aren't you gonna say anything?"

Seiji though about it. "… Not really, no."

Ryo laughed uneasily, staring at his coffee as he swirled it around in the cup. " So I guess this is what our conversations have been reduced to…"

"I guess so." Seiji replied, turning so that he was facing the back of the couch.

"Damn it Seiji, would it kill you to talk with me for five minutes?"

"What am I supposed to say?"

"Just tell me how you feel. It's been two weeks, and you've barely said anything to me; about Sai, about Rowen…"

"Maybe I have my reasons." Seiji responded, the sound muffled by the couch.

"Whatever your reasons are, they're not good enough to shut me out. Whatever's bothering you, you can talk to me about it." Ryo set down his cup on the end table, and reached his hand out, so that his fingers barely touched the blonde's messy strands. The action was an attempt to soothe the other, though it seemed to have the opposite response on Seiji. He immediately snapped into a sitting position, eyes little more than slits.

"You want to talk? Fine. How about we talk about how I couldn't save him. Let's talk about how every night, all he could think about was Sai, and I yelled at him." He laughed a little at that. " I actually yelled at him for it. Then, to make matters worse, he kept seeing him in his dreams, he obsessed over him, and I just ignored it. And you know what? He died because of it." Seiji was trying his best to stay calm, hands shaking at his sides. He was clenching his teeth, eyes shut tightly, his head tilted slightly forward.

"Seiji-"

" If I had just… listened to him… If I hadn't been so stupid, then maybe…"His voice was cracking, and he felt himself begin to lose all resolve. His eyes burned, but he fought against the tears that threatened to spill,

"Seiji, please don't blame yourself. It's not-"

"Not what, Ryo? Not my fault?! He wanted me to believe him so badly, and I…I just… Damn it!" He backhanded Ryo's cup and it smashed against the wall beside them. The two stared at each other in silence for a moment before Seiji, without saying another word, bounded up the steps into his room, and slammed the door behind him.

"Seiji…" Ryo had followed after the other with his eyes, and visibly winced when the door slammed. He had never known Seiji to act that way, and he found himself a little unnerved because of it. He shook his head, standing up and clearing his throat in an attempt to keep from crying. The coffee Seiji had… well, spilled was pooling on the hardwood flooring, but Ryo ignored it. He instead opted for grabbing his jacket from the closet and heading for the door. He needed to get away.

_Xxxxxxx_

_The air was stale. With each unpleasant breath, the taste of it was in his mouth and lingering on his scent. He blinked his eyes a few times and, while his vision was blurry, he was distinctly able to point out that he wasn't in his room._

_"…. the hell is this place…?" He said quietly, and was immediately shocked that he was able to say anything at all. Miraculous recovery, perhaps? He made a few grunting sounds to reaffirm that his speech had indeed returned. That done, he made a motion to sit up only to realize that his legs were being braced down; his arms only achieved a minimal range before he was unable to move them any further. He was also aware of the sounds of chains rattling at his ears._

_"W-what's going on…?!" He stammered, tugging at the bondage in a futile effort to free himself. He was panicking, his pulse pounding so hard that it was a dull throb at his temples. _

_"Struggling will only make things worse, Hardrock." A voice called out. Though his vision was slowly returning to its normal state, Kento was still unable to pick out any clear images from around him. He was breathing so hard that the stale air was beginning to become unbearable._

_"Who are you?!" He screamed, still fighting against his restraints. "Get these things off of me!" Despite his strength, he was unable to free himself. The voice chuckled as if mocking him._

_"Oh, but it isn't I who is holding you captive. Rather, these chains-- no, this very room is a product of your own mind. I'm merely… borrowing it." Kento's vision had returned and while he was now able to see the room clearly, he still was unable to look at the voice that sounded behind him. He was laying upon a steel table. The walls surrounding him were made of stone; old, by the looks of them. They were laden with cracks and, from what he could see with his limited range, met with a floor that was also made of stone, or maybe dirt. He couldn't quite tell._

_"What do you want with me? Why are you keeping me here?!" He demanded of the as yet unidentified voice, still struggling to catch a glimpse of his captor._

_"Two seals have already been broken. And while my powers are returning, the spell is still preventing me from completing the task at hand."_

_"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, now get this shit off of me!!" He was still struggling ; pulling at chains that refused to break. "Why are you doing this?!"_

_"To keep your mind occupied and your body free for manipulation." The voice cackled from behind him. "You can try to remove the chains if you'd like, though I wouldn't recommend it. If you do by some chance free yourself, your physical body will be destroyed. Of course, I'd like to prevent that for as long as possible, but I suppose that your death in itself will be of great advantage."_

_"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!!" He was still struggling, still unaware of the weight of the other's words. All the while, the voice continued to laugh from behind him._

_" It means that the third seal will be broken." The laughter was joyous; filled with both excitement and anticipation--the sound of which was frightening to Kento, restrained as he was. "Soon the others will fall. And my revenge upon mankind will begin…"_

_Xxxxxx_

Though it was hot out that day, and it seemed that rain was approaching, Ryo didn't take the jeep. He instead opted to walk the two mile trek to downtown Nerima. He didn't have a purpose in mind; the walking merely facilitated deep reflection. About Sai, about Rowen, about Seiji… about Kento and himself as well.

While numerous inquiries were surfacing, the one that repeated itself most often was 'Why?'. Why now, after everything else that had come to pass. Having already enjoyed five years of pleasant, lazy days after the defeat of Talpa, it seemed cruel that heart ache should suddenly and completely envelope them.

"When it rains, it pours…" He said cynically to himself, immediately wishing he hadn't. The sky rumbled and the first few drops of what would be a heavy downpour began to fall. He cursed his stupid mouth, and rushed over to the nearest shelter -- The Nerima Diner. While the place was usually busy around this time of day, he found it was _especially_ difficult to get a stool seat in front of the counter. It seemed his shelter idea hadn't really been all that original.

Not that he minded. When the waitress came to take his order, he asked for a coffee. ( Which was his drink of choice, and all he planned to order anyway ). She immediately poured the cup in front of him and was gone just as quickly -- off to seat a party of eight that had just entered. Not that he rminded that either. With her out of the way, he was once against left in silent contemplation; staring at his coffee while tapping a fingertip on the table.

It all started with Sai. The unexplained wounds he had assumed were self-inflicted; his attempted homicide, his suicide… All things that he had never associated with the Brit. Why hadn't he noticed anything? Surely Sai would've been the first person to come to them. Even if he hadn't, the link all of them shared should have alerted them. The only plausible explanation was that Sai had been intentionally shutting them out, right up until the moment he died. The only reason he and Seiji had found the other two that night in the woods was from the link Rowen was emitting.

"But even if that were the case…" He mumbled to himself, still idly tapping his finger. It still didn't explain anything. It didn't explain how Sai's demeanor could change so drastically. And then there was Rowen. God, Rowen.. His eyes watered up, so he clenched them shut, burying his head into his free hand. His other hand was still tapping the counter.

Rowen had been crushed when Sai died… So badly that he killed himself. It was another instance in which, while he and Seiji were both aware that Rowen wasn't himself, the link they shared showed no signs that he was distressed. Had he also been shutting them out? And if so, why? Seiji had said that Rowen had been dreaming about Sai. Was that it, then? Did he want to be with Sai that badly? If that were true, then Rowen was a fool -- Because Seiji would've done anything for him.

Naturally, this too was only an assumption -- but one that he deemed to be pretty accurate. He'd caught Seiji on more than one occasion staring at Rowen, though always from a safe distance. And of course, the morning before they had all gone to Stella's, He had caught the two of them curiously close in front of the couch. He hadn't said anything at the time and, keeping in mind the events that had followed, forgot to mention anything about it to date.

_Not like it's important anymore.._ He thought to himself. _Not with Seiji the way he is…_ Seiji, up until Rowen's death, had been keeping him in good spirits, and now that he'd lost that, he felt as though he was on his own. However the worst part was sensing Seiji's pain, and knowing there was nothing he could do to fix it. He felt completely useless. Then there was Kento, but the silence there was unsettling, and only a reminder of what had passed.

"Do you need cream or something?" The waitress had returned and seemed to be more than moderately agitated. Ryo had heard what she'd asked, though to him it sounded more like, "Hurry up, you're wasting time and space.". He merely nodded, and asked for some sugar packets, which she returned with as quickly as she had poured his coffee to begin with. He set to work on the arduous task of whitening his coffee. His own thoughts were momentarily clouded as the noise and visualizations of an over crowded diner suddenly appeared to him, as though they hadn't been there before. There were no vacant seats now, and people were standing by the doorway, shivering from the mix of rain water and air conditioning. It was pouring now. He didn't recall the transition from drizzle to downpour, but he had expected it when he had arrived here.

All the patrons of the diner were talking robustly to each other; about how the weather sucked; about how they had flat-ironed their hair and now it was ruined; about how the diner's customer service was lousy; as he looked around, he caught little snippets of everyone's conversations. He would've heard more, had the two guys sitting aside of him been speaking softer.

"…So she kicked me out." It was a young guy. Older than Ryo. Twenty-five, maybe? He had an accumulation of what looked to be two weeks of scruff, and the condition of his hair gave Ryo the impression that he hadn't showered in about that long either. He was talking to a man who was considerably older than him. The grandfatherly type. " She hasn't returned my calls in weeks. When I went to the house, she wouldn't talk to me.." the younger guy crammed a few fries in his mouth with one hand, while resting his head on the other. " What's worse is she threw all my stuff outside right before that huge storm a few weeks back. It's all useless now; half of it's gone anyway.."

" When it rains, it pours." The old man said, and Ryo half-laughed to himself. De jevu.

" Speakin' of which, they say another storm's comin'." The old man took a bite of a burger, talking despite the fact his mouth was full. " Somethin' about Solar winds, or somethin' like that. No wait, it was more like a new comet's causin' all sorts of disturbances. Some kind of new discovery. Whatever the hell it was, it's makin' all sorts of crazy weather patterns." He swallowed, taking a big swig of his soda.

"It doesn't make a difference to me. " the young guy started again. " It could rain for weeks on end, and I'd barely notice. " He pushed his plate to the side and rest his head on his arms. "I just don't see how it matters anymore.."

Ryo gave mental agreement, while overpaying for both his coffee and tip. He couldn't stay there anymore. And even though it was raining, the air of the place did little to help him make peace with anything that had happened. When he stepped outside, the rain was crashing to the ground so hard that the sounds of the cars were silenced. It was so loud, that even his thoughts were being overpowered, which he was glad for. He was soaked within seconds of stepping out from beneath the diner's awning, though this too, he was glad for. The chill of the rain in comparison to the heat outdoors was soothing and he found himself comforted as he made the trek back home.

Xxxxx

When he returned to his room after checking up on Kento, Seiji sat on the edge of his bed and stared at his door. It was almost one in the afternoon and he still hadn't changed out of his pajama bottoms, nor did he have any intention of doing so. He was listless, and while he continued to repeat his all too familiar mantras in his head, they did little to ease his suffering. His lights were off, and since he had shut his blinds, the room was illuminated by candlelight. There was no escape from himself alone there in the dark. He kept thinking about what he could have done differently. The more he thought about it the more he blamed himself; trapped in a vicious self-defeating spiral from which emergence seemed next to impossible. The rain pounding on the roof only reminded him of the things he wished to forget; of the person that he wanted wiped from his memories…

_It was late when he and Rowen had finally gone upstairs after returning from Stella's. They hadn't said anything to one another. In fact, they hadn't spoken a word since the incident on the ride back.. Kento had gone to his room in a drunken tiff. Ryo had somehow managed to crawl his way upstairs to bed, and Sai, seemingly shaken from what Kento had said to him in the jeep, had retreated to his room as well. When the two parted in the hall at the top of the stairs, Seiji couldn't help but notice something about the way Rowen kept his eyes downcast; something about the way he barely managed a simple 'goodnight' before disappearing down the hall.._

_When he closed the door to his own room, Seiji took off his shirt and tossed it on the floor aimlessly. He rubbed at his eyes which were drooping from drunken exhaustion, while simultaneously taking off his shoes, stepping on each of his heels to remove them. The only light illuminating the room was the glow from his alarm clock and he stumbled a bit before kicking his shoes to the side and collapsing, face-first, onto his bed. The cool night air, accentuated from the rain that was still falling quite heavily outside, felt nice on his back and the nape of his neck, and he let out a comfortable sigh, the scent of the booze on his own breath making its way to his nostrils._

_Sleep didn't want to come to him immediately. He was being bombarded with thoughts that refused to disperse despite how hard he tried to ignore them. He tossed and turned until he wound up on his back, arms crossed behind his head. He was looking towards the ceiling, but not really seeing it. _

_" What am I gonna do…?" Seiji asked quietly of the darkness, as though an answer was sure to follow. The rain was his only response and after a moment or two of silence he laughed at himself, putting a hand to his chest and running his fingers lightly along the skin, causing it to itch slightly. He waited a second before scratching the area to relieve the self-induced annoyance and repeating the process all over again. _

_All the while, his mind continued to assault him with various scenarios, all concerning the same subject. -- Rowen. He kept remembering how his hand had felt when tangled in Rowen's hair.; he kept thinking about how the other's eyelashes felt when brushing his cheeks. He kept fanaticizing about the way his whole body was in flames the moment their lips met…_

_His cheeks were burning then, an exhilarating contrast from the otherwise chilled room, and he wasn't sure if it was from the booze he'd consumed or from the way the images made him feel. The light touches he'd been tracing along his chest trailed to his stomach, and he imaged it was the archer's deft fingers that resided there, tracing little circles towards the brim of his jeans. Seiji grew brave then, emitting a little groan, whispering the other's name as his hand ventured beneath the denim that suddenly felt tighter than he had remembered…_

_"Seiji, are you still awake?" The question coincided with a gentle knock at his door and he jumped up, suddenly embarrassed, stammering a response. _

_" U-uh, yea. I'm awake." He sat up cross-legged on his bed as Rowen stepped into his room in similar attire. "Couldn't quite get to sleep.." Seiji looked down to avoid eye-contact, still moderately embarrassed by what he had been about to do.._

_"Me neither." Was Rowen's response as he shifted from foot to foot in the doorway. "Can we…Talk?" He asked, looking towards his feet. " I mean, unless you're too tired.."_

_"No, no, It's fine." Seiji motioned for the other to have a seat aside of him, daring a glance in his direction. Rowen shut the door softly behind him, stumbling over Seiji's shirt as he headed towards the bed. He sat down on the edge, hands crossed in his lap, twirling his thumbs in circles around each other without realizing it._

_Seiji noticed, however. It was one of Rowen's quirks that he found especially interesting. Just like the way he always hiccupped after taking his first sip of soda; or the way he always fished for his house key with his teeth. Even the way he always seemed oblivious to his own bed-head…_

_"It's about earlier-" Rowen started, not really sure what he was supposed to say after that._

_"You mean what happened in the car?" Seiji offered in an attempt to dodge the conversation that was sure to follow. Rowen shook his head gently._

_" No. I mean what happened this morning--"_

_"Okay.." Seiji responded softly, averting his gaze to his own hands, which rest motionless in his lap. He could feel his pulse quicken; his heart threatened to burst from him chest as he waited silently for Rowen to continue._

_" I think, for just a minute, I… May have let myself get out of hand."_

_"…Would it matter if I disagreed?" Seiji offered gently, slowly raising his eyes to meet the other's. His face was nothing but seriousness, no hint of sarcasm. It was as though those words were his attempt of laying down all of the emotions he had been struggling with. He was baring his heart to the other, and the vulnerability that followed was nearly crippling._

_"Seiji…" Rowen paused,, nervously chewing at his lip. " …It's not that I don't…"Again, he was at a loss for words._

_"What is it?" Seiji's tone was still serious in his resolve. His eyes never wavered from Rowen, transfixed on him as though he were the judge and Seiji was being sentenced. _

_"I just don't want you to get the wrong idea… about me; about what I did…" He finally stopped twiddling his thumbs, instead reaching for one of Seiji's hands with both of his own. He ran his fingers lightly along the other's palm, softly rubbing the back of his hand, cursing himself all the while. It was Sai that he loved, and while he tried his best to keep that in mind, the intense stare Seiji was giving him was destroying his resolve; the booze he had consumed earlier was dissolving his inhibitions._

_Seiji shivered, little waves of adrenaline coursing through him at even the slightest touch from the other. He swallowed hard, bringing his other hand to rest on Rowen's bare shoulder, squeezing it gently. They were close enough that Seiji could feel the other's breath on his face. " What would be the wrong idea?" He could barely hear himself above the pounding of his pulse and while he was trying to restrain himself, he kept inching closer to Rowen. His hand rose and fell along the other's arm._

_"….."`Rowen wanted to say it then -- that he was in love with Sai, but while his mind formed the words, his lips refused to move. A hand removed itself from atop of Seiji's, settling instead on resting on the blond's waist. Rowen tilted his head back so that his eyes met with the other's, their noses almost touching. It was what happened this morning all over again. He had come into Seiji's room hoping to explain himself and instead found himself entranced by the other once again. His body moved of its own volition until the two were embracing, Seiji's hand now resting against the back of the blue-haired boy's head, the other encircling his waist. His own hand lightly traced its way up Seiji's arm before decidedly settling around his neck._

_"Can I tell you something?" Seiji's inquiry broke the silence, though did little to ease the tension between the two. Rowen nodded an agreement, daring not to speak, running his thumb along the other's neck._

_" You…" Suddenly Rowen's fingers were in his hair and he shivered, eyes shutting softly. It was a second or two before he began again. " You do something to me. I can't explain why or how… but every time I'm close to you, my heart pounds. Even when I think about you, I get this rush…" He trailed off, not exactly sure how to articulate what he felt. And while he wanted to think of the words, all he could think of was how wonderful the fingers entwining themselves in his hair felt. _

_By this time, Rowen's resolve was gone and he closed the already miniscule gap between them and kissed the blonde. Lips and bare skin met all at once as he inched his way into Seiji's lap, his hand moving from the other's hair to the back of his neck. Seiji's hands were all over him, caressing his chest, his sides, his back… It was driving him insane and with each touch, the intensity of their kiss grew._

_Seiji parted from him for just a moment, picking Rowen up and pinning him on his back on the bed. Rowen was panting as though out of breath, and the sound only amplified the intensity of Seiji's actions. Hands were more bold with their exploration of Rowen's body as they rubbed against the front of the other's pajama bottoms before sliding to his stomach, fingertips slipping just beneath his waistband. Strata's hips rose, as if to tempt the other, the hand about his neck forcing Seiji to meet him in a fevered kiss. They were both groaning, Seiji's fingers decidedly slipping down the front of Rowen's pajamas, causing the other to suck in his breath. The Image of the blue-haired boy writhing beneath him brought a smirk to Seiji's face and while he hadn't intended to say it, he let the words slip._

_"I lo-…."_

_Xxxxx_

" I love you…" He said to the darkness. While he had tried to tell Rowen how he had felt, a sudden screaming from Sai's room had caused Strata to go bolting out before he was able to finish. After that, the subject never came up again. And seeing how strongly Rowen had been affected by Sai's death, he somehow knew why the blue-haired boy had needed to talk to him that night.

Maybe that was the real reason he was so angry at Sai; because he was so close to having the one thing Seiji never could and threw it all away. And because of that, Seiji lost the one thing that really mattered to him…

The wall beside him banged suddenly and Seiji jumped, immediately pulled from his reverie. It had come from Kento's room, which was strange, seeing as only moments ago, Kento had been sleeping peacefully. He stood from his bed and headed into the hallway, walking the short distance to the other's room. He knocked once with a single knuckle, as was his fashion.

"Kento? Are you awake?" Seiji half-whispered, opening the door and sticking his head in. The first thing he took notice of was that Kento was not in his bed. He stepped in then, taking a more detailed scan of the room. "Kento?" The boy was nowhere to be seen. He walked over to his bed, which was unmade. The sheets were still warm as though he had just left -- but Seiji hadn't seen anyone in the hallway, and the window (which he doubted Kento would use as an exit anyway) appeared to be locked.

"Kent-" He couldn't tell from which direction it came from; it had all happened so quickly. He felt a sharp pain at the back of his head and his vision blurred instantaneously. Seiji stumbled a second or two before collapsing on his back on the floor. His head rolled from side to side; the aching was enticing him to sleep, which he fought against. He made a motion to sit and was immediately pushed back down by the end of a baseball bat at his chest. His head jarred against the floor and he whimpered his protest upon impact. When he finally managed to look up, Kento was looming over him with a smirk.

" Hello, Seiji of Halo…"

Xxxxx

_It wasn't fair to make him watch; to have him witness his body's assault on a comrade. And while he was trying his hardest, he was still unable to break the bondage that held him captive._

_"Stop this! Leave Seiji alone!!" The images flashed across his visage almost as if they were right in front of him, though he was still surrounded by those walls that looked as though they'd crumble at any second. He could see Seiji, who at this point had been duck taped to a chair. Blood was running down the side of his face. He seemed to be awake, though extremely disoriented. His messy blonde strands were wet with his own blood on the side of his head where the bat had made contact._

_During this time, Kento's captor paid him no mind. He kept shouting at the blonde, using Kento's physical body as a medium. Kento shivered as he watched himself grab Seiji's bloody strands, pulling his head back so that he winced in agony._

_"Relinquish the power of Korin to me!! I'm sick of playing games with you!" His captor's voice sounded from behind him. He was growing impatient, and Kento feared he was close to killing Seiji. "Relinquish it or I swear I'll kill you now…"_

_Seiji wasn't answering; his eyes were clentched shut in pain. He bit down on his lip as if he were preventing himself from saying anything. The imagery was driving Kento mad; knowing it was his body that was doing this all. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he continued with his apparently futile attempt at escape; that is, he thought it was futile, until one of the links cracked slightly. He sighed a sigh of relief, though it was short-lived. Suddenly, and without warning, a cut formed on his face. The pain came from nowhere, and he cursed, despite the fact he was trying not to bring attention to himself. _

_He could feel a loosening in the chain on his left arm and cautiously began tugging on it again. The blood tickled a little as it slid down his cheek, and he wanted so badly to scratch at it. This only encouraged him to pull at his bondage quicker and with more ferocity. His captor never seemed to notice the rattling, which he was glad for. Soon, he would be free. He hoped so anyway. If he took much longer…_

_Seiji would be killed._

_Xxxxx_

When Ryo stepped into the house, the first thing he took notice of was that Seiji hadn't cleaned up the coffee mess, like he'd hoped he would. He sighed as he shut the front door, sopping wet and shivering from the rain he had walked through all the way home. He sauntered up the steps listlessly, walking down the hall to his room where he stripped off his wet garb down to his boxers and collapsed on his back on his bed. Though he still intended to check on Kento, he took a moment or two to stare at the ceiling. Seiji still appeared to be brooding in his room , and even if Kento were awake, he might as well have been talking to himself. Lately, moments like these had him thinking about Mia.

She had been nice enough to let them all stay at the cabin while she studied abroad and while Ryo was thankful for that, selfishly he wished she had never gone to begin with. If she hadn't, then at least he would have someone to talk to. And though they talked on the phone regularly, it wasn't the same as being able to see her or hold her.

Ryo sighed and tilted his head . As if that were the cue, his cell phone vibrated on the nightstand aside of him. The polyphonic sound that followed brought a smile to his face, and he nearly fell out of bed making a grab for it. He flipped his phone open with his thumb, pressing it to his ear.

" I was just thinking about you.. Strange that you should call."

While Ryo had been hoping for her normally cheerful demeanor to boost his spirits, what he was confronted with was quite different than to what he had been accustomed.

_"Ryo? Oh, thank god I got a hold of you. I tried the house line, but it says it's been disconnected." _She sounded both nervous and out of breath, and Ryo sat up a little, brows furrowing together.

"Well, it's raining pretty bad out here. There could be a pole down or something like that. Are you okay? You sound… strange."

_"It's really important that I talk to Rowen right away. Is he there?"_

Ryo was quiet for a minute. He had been so preoccupied dealing with everything that had happened at the cabin, that he had forgotten to tell Mia anything… " Mia…"

_"…W-what is it…?" She stammered, the sound of which was disconcerting to Ryo._

" A few days ago, he.." Ryo nearly choked at the visualization that talking about it prompted. " He drowned, at the beach. Seiji tried to save him but… we got there too late." There was silence on the other end and Ryo didn't know what to say at first. " I really meant to call you, but with the way things have been going around here…"

_"Ryo, I…" She started, then paused, as though she didn't know where to begin. " Rowen called me a few days ago and asked me to look something up for him, and when I finally found something…I got really scared and just wanted to make sure you were all alright…"_

_"_"Mia-" He was cut off then, and Mia continued, almost frantically.

_" But if Rowen's dead…Oh, god…" She repeated those last two words a few times before she began speaking again_. _" Ryo, you have to promise me to be careful until I get there."_

"Until youget here? I don't understand…!"

_" I'm about to board the plane now. I'll call you as soon as I arrive in Nerima. Just please, promise me you'll be okay."_

Ryo, though completely baffled as to what the other was talking about, mustered a feeble, " Y-yea, of course, I promise. But what's this all about Mia?"

_"I'll explain everything as soon as I ge-" _His phone beeped at him three times, signaling that the call had been dropped. He tried calling her back once, only to get her voicemail. She was definitely afraid of something and, with the house in silence and only the sound of rain at his ears, he was suddenly afraid as well. He stood immediately, throwing on a pair of pants and cautiously stepping out into the hall.

He was walking slowly towards Seiji's room, weary of even the littlest of sounds his feet made against the wooden floors. With each squeak he would stop moving and glance cautiously around. Though it was a short distance from his own room, it felt like a half an hour went by before he was finally standing in front of Seiji's door. He cracked it slightly, peeking his head in and whispering a little, "Seiji…? Are you in there…?" He wasn't, though his room was filled with candlelight. This was odd to him, as Seiji was always meticulous about outing candles if he intended on going anywhere for an extended period of time

He shut the door soundlessly and continued his trek down the hall until he was standing in front of Kento's room. He reached his hand to the knob, but didn't turn it immediately. He could hear someone talking, though the voice didn't sound like Seiji's… He pressed an ear to the door.

_"…Had you given this up before, you could've saved yourself quite a bit of pain. But no matter. You're of no use to me anymore..." _Ryo struggled to hear that, though the sound that followed, the sound of glass shattering, he heard with little effort. Without thinking about it, he swung the door open, yelling as he stepped inside.

"What the hell is going on in-!" When he saw what was happening, he was at a loss for words momentarily. Kento's lamp that usually resided on his nightstand was in shattered pieces on the floor. Seiji was taped down to a chair and was bleeding profusely, his eyes little more than slits. It was clear he was struggling to remain conscious. Kento was above him, though his head had turned in Ryo's direction after he had thrown open the door.

"Kento….? What are you…?"

Kento smirked. " Wildfire…" He said in a voice that wasn't his own. His face had sustained multiple oozing lacerations. The look in his eyes… was haunting. Kento looked completely possessed. "I got my voice back! Isn't that great?" He laughed a little, turning to completely face Ryo, who slowly began to back away from the other. Blood was splattered across his clothes and it was obvious that it was Seiji's, though the cuts on his face still trickled down his cheeks and collected about his neck. How long had he been torturing the other, Ryo absently wondered whilst trying his hardest to say something; _anything…_ "God, what did you do…?" He backed up slowly until his shoulders pressed against the wall. Kento advanced just as slowly, tapping a bloody baseball bat against his leg. Seiji's blood smeared on the floor in his wake.

" I'm just trying to take back what was stolen from me." Kento stopped once he was close enough to cut off Ryo's exit. " Each of you holds a key to undoing the past.." He paused there, watching as Ryo looked between him and the door, still smirking. " And I'll kill you all to get them."

"You're… you're not Kento…" Ryo stammered. He had no choice but to adopt a fighting stance. Kento was so close -- and the scent of blood in the air was insufferable. Kento didn't appear to be phased by this, resting the bat on his shoulder, his grin never wavering.

" Ah, so you finally get it, I see. " Kento held the bat behind him then, as if he aimed to swing at Ryo at any moment. " Though it doesn't matter. My strength is returning. The seal of Hardrock is as good as broken, Halo will soon follow, and then.." He swung the bat then which forced Ryo to push himself into the corner to avoid contact. Kento quickly returned the bat to its position behind him." I will be back for you, wildfire."

"What's wrong with you?!" Ryo screamed, returning to his previous stance. "Kento, snap out of it!" As quickly as he'd said it, Kento's eyes were vacant for a moment, and the bat he had been carrying fell to the floor with a series of resounding vibrations. His head bowed, as though he were an idle marionette, waiting for a command from his puppet master. With caution, Ryo took one step forward. Then another. His hand slowly reached for Kento's shoulder.

"Kento…?" The call appeared to do nothing. It was as though Kento had somehow been thrust into a catatonic state. His hand rested on hardrock's shoulder. Somehow, this simple action seemed to breathe sudden life into the other. With a sharp intake of breath, his eyes widened, and he clung tight to Ryo's shirt with tightly fisted hands. A look of pure undeniable terror was in his eyes.

"_Ki..ll……m..e….." _He choked out, though it contained no real sound -- nothing at all reminiscent of the boisterous tone which Kento usually adopted _or_ the voice he had been using when Ryo had entered. The request, asked in that raspy, barely audible tone was made worse only by the sight of a new laceration that slowly gouged it's way in Kento"s cheek, seemingly out of nowhere, revealing bloodstained teeth from an outward glance. Ryo's mouth opened to scream and he probably would of, save for the fierce look of determination in Kento's eyes. It was as though he were struggling to remain in control.

" I… I won't just kill you, Kento. I can't! Whoever is doing this to you, w-we can fight them off! Just try to stay with me!"

" _No… time… pl..ease….." _Kento's focus appeared to tighten harder as a mound of flesh peeled from his jaw as though it had melted off and fell to the floor with a sickening '_plop'_. The muscle beneath contracted when exposed to the air and Ryo found itharder to stifle a scream. He would soon find that there was no need to as, just as quickly as Kento had returned, he was gone again and was instead replaced by the parasite -- the fiend that dared to use his friend's body as a host for murder.

Perhaps fear of Kento's brief seizure of control or perhaps because the lapse had somehow weakened him, the bodiless evil, with Kento once more as his armor, let go of Ryo and immediately ran to the window, leaping through without taking the time to open it. The crash sent fragments of glass flying everywhere, though Ryo took no caution as he ran to the window to follow after the other. Kento disappeared into the woods behind the house, eliciting a curse from Ryo. His adrenaline advised him to chase after the other, but he dare not leave Seiji alone in the condition he was currently in. He headed over to the other.

"Seiji, can you hear me??" He asked this with a tremor in his voice, waving a hand in front of the other's face, shaking his shoulder gently with the other. "Christ, Seiji… please…."

The blonde's head lolled from side to side, as though he had taken too many rides on a tilt-o-whirl in succession. When he finally looked up at Ryo, his eyes were half lidded; the tuft of hair that usually covered one of the aforementioned orbs was matted back on his head by his own blood. He didn't groan, he didn't demand to be untied but said simply, " Thanks. That guy was a real pain." His voice sounded as though he were dreaming and for a second, Ryo thought he would go into shock. The blonde was shivering; his lips had paled. He was looking straight ahead, but was focused on nothing.

"You have to lie down" Ryo said, though more to himself then to Seiji. He was fumbling with the duck tape that bound the other's hands to the chair. It was slick with blood and each time he thought he had a hold of the end piece, he would slip an have to find it all over again.

" I never saw him coming.. Never expected him to…" His head resumed lolling about. Ryo cursed, glancing around the room for anything sharp, decidedly settling on a piece of the broken lamp. From Seiji's obvious disorientation and the crash he had heard moments before he entered, the lamp had been thrown at Seiji's head… He shuddered at the mere thought of the full spectrum of pain to which Seiji had been subjected to, frantically cutting at the edge of the duck tape until he was able to rip the makeshift restraints off in groups of layers rather than having to unroll them. Resistant pieces he had ripped with his own teeth, the coppery taste of blood sickening him as it hit his tongue.

When Seiji was released, Ryo, still panicking, managed to grab a shirt to tie around the worst of Halo's wounds, which appeared to be a slight crack on the left side of his head. It would need stitches. He absently imagined the end of the baseball bat swinging towards Seiji in such a manner as to cause the injury and nearly felt the need to vomit.

He shook his head, laying blankets on the floor hurriedly, nestling Seiji atop of them while being careful not to jar his head, and propping just his feet up, in a makeshift attempt to prevent shock from blood loss. He would call an ambulance before heading after Kento, but that was all he could do. He looked down to Seiji who was trying his best to focus on Ryo.

" Be careful. " Seiji warned, consciously aware of Ryo's intent without him having to say a word.

" I'll be right back. Don't die." Ryo commanded this of Seiji as might a dog owner warn their dog to 'Stay!' after they have spotted a particularly feisty squirrel. " You hear me? Don't you fucking die." Without awaiting a response he dashed out of the room towards his own where he would grab his cell phone and feverishly throw on a shirt and shoes. He would call for the ambulance as he began his search. The bodiless evil had taken his friend too far already.

xxxxxxx

The Rain had slowed him down. His steps were uncertain as he traipsed through muddy ground after Kento. His intent of rescuing Hardrock was driving him, though at each recollection of the cuts that suddenly appeared on his face, the skin slipping off as though Kento's body couldn't withstand the strain; as if the evil that had him within its grasp was literally decaying him… These horrific visualizations left Ryo with little feelings of hope.

He trudged on however, pushing back overgrowth and low hanging branches in his wake. Water was everywhere and he wondered why he'd even bothered getting out of his wet clothes after he'd arrived home. He also wondered why he'd failed to hear anything as he ascended the steps to get to his room. His inability to notice the assault had nearly cost Seiji his life.

He pushed back a few more low hanging branches which gave way into a clearing. The creek ran steadily through here and lead back through the forest, though with the heavy rain, it looked less like a creek and more like miniature rapids. Though the rain had caused a gentle fog to surround the area, he had a good image of two figures off in the distance. One he could positively identify as Kento, but the other form he was unable to discern. He took a step or two closer, crouching in an attempt to conceal himself. He watched as Kento seemed to hand some sort of canister to the other. He tried to lean forward and get a better look at the object, but the unidentified man quickly tucked it away, out of sight. Just as quickly, he was gone, leaving Kento alone by the creek, arm outstretched as though he were frozen in place after having given the man the mystery object.

Ryo took this opportunity to stand, cautiously walking towards the other. Kento wasn't moving. He remained in the same position, arm outstretched, as though he were not a man but merely a sculpture. Ryo called out to him with a raised voice, so he would be heard ofver the crash of the rain.

"Kento…?"

As he approached the other, he suddenly snapped his head towards the other, standing to face him in a more natural position. His eyes shone with a demonic glee. His lips curled upwards in a sinister smile. From that very instant, Ryo knew that the bodiless evil had once again entered hardrock. He took a step or two back, nearly slipping in the mud the deluge had created.

"Ah, Wildfire. So you chose to come after this shell of a comrade, though that choice could have potentially meant certain death. You're either very brave or very stupid." The grin on Kento's face, that voice that did not belong to him…Ryo's fists shuddered in anger. His teeth clenched tightly for a moment as a wave of pure anger coarsed through him.

"Stop using my friend as a puppet and fight me yourself!!" He yelled this to Kento, but was addressing it to whoever had control of him. He glanced around the area where the second individual had been. Chances were good that they had been the one pulling the strings, though he supposed the possibility of a second person existed. Without any real information, he could only make assumptions as to the method of Kento's control.

" It's not that simple." Kento replied, " Certain procedures have to be followed."

"Procedures?!" Ryo was seething with anger now, though Kento continued on, as though he hadn't heard Ryo's exasperated cry.

".. Besides, this body wields the power of earth so perfectly. See?" Hardrock swung an arm and as he did so, a crack formed in the earth, thin at first but getting progressively wider as it headed towards Ryo. Wildfire stared at it a moment, wide eyed, nearly missing his chance to leap out of the way. When he finally did leap, he rolled as he hit the ground, jumping immediately to his feet, ready to dodge a second assault. He was covered in mud now, a fierce look on his face. He took a step or two forward, watching the other , carefully and patiently anticipating the perfect time to attack.

The not-Kento was still smirking, a brow raised as though he were impressed with Ryo's defensive capabilities. However, with a slight shrug, he flicked the back of his hand towards Ryo, making a motion as if he were shooing away flies. These slight motions sent wave after wave of jagged earth towards Ryo's direction. He was dodging them as best he could, climbing over some, often slipping in the mud as he tried to avoid being impales. Eventually the waves subsided and Ryo took the opportunity to catch his breath.

He was already growing tired. The hike to the clearing, the rain and his wet clothes pulling him down, the heavy winds he was continuously fighting against, they all contributed to the weakness he suddenly felt in his legs. His breathing was growing heavier by the second. Fear was beginning to make its presence known. If he made even one false move, we would be dead.

"My, you're quick. But not quite quick enough." In one swift motion, Kento hammered the ground in from of him with two fists. Almost simultaneously, a wall of earth formed in front of Ryo, crashing down atop of him and effectively pinning him to the ground. Kento was making a fist with one hand, as if attempting to crush some unseeable object within. The motion seemed to have en effect on the earth that contained him because Ryo suddenly felt as if the earth itself was squeezing him; holding him in place. He tried to move his arms and found that he couldn't. He legs also remained unmovable. He was utterly helpless.

Kento took his time walking over to the other, looming over him with that sadistic smile. " That was delightfully easy. You barely put up a fight at all."

"Let me go!!" Ryo screamed, shaking his head back and forth as if that alone would free him.

" Calm down. I'm not going to kill yet. Remember? Procedures." Ryo looked at him in both confusion and contempt, which somehow only brightened that smile on Kento's face. " I have Kento trapped within, you see. Right now, he's desperately attempting to break free of the chains I've created within his mind." The not-Kento actually laughed then, sitting in the grass aside of Ryo as if it weren't raining, but in fact just an ordinary lovely day. He talked to him not as an enemy, but as though he were a close and most trusted friend. " Now, he's under the impression that severing these chains will kill him. Truth is while they _will_ in fact hideously disfigure him, severing them won't prove to be fatal."

"What are you-" Ryo started, but was immediately cut off, as Kento placed a finger to his lips to silence him., making soft 'shhh' sounds as he did so.

" Now where was I? Ah, yes." He continued. " I'm only telling you this because he's so distracted right now, he won't be able to hear me."

Ryo pondered that sentence for a minute or two despite the current situation. Kento, trapped within his own mind, merely an onlooker of his own actions… His hatred for this imposter soared once again and his head flailed, as he struggled to free himself once again. The Kento-like figure stood, crossing his arms over his chest, that grin growing ever larger.

"I imagine that when he feels your life is in danger, he'll do something rash like, oh I don't know, kill himself. This would prove to be extremely convenient, as I'm unable to kill directly with the current strength of my powers. And I'm far too weak for a confrontation. I've been inactive for quite some time now." He yawned, as though boredom was setting in; as though murder was merely a mundane activity. " In any case, he should be free soon, so I think I'll be taking my leave now. Enjoy life while you can, because I'll be back for you soon, Wildfire." He pointed at Ryo's face with a finger, drawing a straight horizontal line in the air. This caused a bit of earth to wrap around Ryo's mouth and harden, effectively silencing him.

The bodiless evil began to laugh then, though only briefly. He paused in mid-cackle and for a while, Kento stood there as he had done in his room; silent -- an empty shell awaiting orders.

Xxxxxxx

_There was no skin left on his hands. All around him, wads of useless flesh and sinew were strewn about, having fallen off him in his struggle to free himself. With each crack of a link in the chain, a new laceration formed; a patch of skin fell clean off of his body. Though he was able to work through the pain and hold the final chain, his hands were to slippery to get a good grip. He was crying in pain. The air hit his open wounds and threatened to send him into oblivion but, sucking air quickly through his teeth, he fought for consciousness. If he gave up now, his captor would have complete control of him. He looked around the decrepit crypt walls of his mind that had been his cell for a time he could not readily identify. Had it been just a day or two? It had felt like weeks.. In any case, in his haste to free himself, he had completely forgotten that his captor had been close by somewhere behind him. He had a large enough range of motion to glance behind him now, as he was only being held by his left ankle. The skin there had ripped and blood had formed a pool around it. The meat of his calf was hanging, as though it had been ripped loose beneath the skin. As he looked around, his captor was nowhere to be found._

_He was still trying to pull at the links but with his hands' lack of skin, he was unable to shatter the remaining chain. He was still sniffling in pain, though the futility of the work made him want to cry out altogether._

_He thought carefully about his situation then. Back at the house, when he had busted just one of the links, he had been able to gain control long enough to get to Ryo, though briefly. He looked around once again. His captor still hadn't returned. Perhaps, with him gone and most of the restraints broken, he would be able to gain control long enough to beg Ryo for death._

_He was scared of dying, but it was the only option that would achieve favorable results. _

_He stopped tugging on his chain then, settling instead on concentrating; he visualized himself in complete control, which proved to be difficult when confronted with the sheer pain of his wounds. He persevered however, meditating, breathing rhythmically, in complete control of himself. He was his own master; his mind was cleared; he was in complete control of himself.. After repeatedly telling himself this, and after a few moments of quiet meditation, he finally shook the hold his captor had over him and he was, like he had been repeating,…_

In complete control of himself. Initially, he was taken aback by the rain. While it first registered as a cold, torrential downpour, this observation was quickly abated by the sheer pain the heavy rain caused when making contact with his open wounds. He screamed, and was brought to his knees in agony. When he rose his head to take a look around, he spotted Ryo, encased in earth, struggling to talk, head swinging left to right, eyes frantic.

_" Ryo…"_ He choked out, his voice barely above a whisper, and completely inaudibly given the intensity of the rain. He struggled to rest back on his knees, clenching his eyes shut in a futile attempt to block out the pain. It hurt so bad… but he tried not to focus on it. Time was short. At any moment, his captor might reclaim control and he would remain forever a prisoner within his own mind.

He had to act fast. If he were forced to relinquish control before Ryo was freed, the other wasn't in a position to defend himself. He would surely be killed almost instantaneously. And even if he were able to free the other, if he lost control soon after, who's to say that Ryo wouldn't just end up in the same predicament; only if it happened again, Kento instinctively knew they he wouldn't be able to save him.

Once again, death appeared to be the only option.

The pain was still immense, but Kento smiled despite it. He was looking at Ryo, who was still giving him that wide eyed, frantic shake of the head. He was muttering sounds that Kento could barely hear above the rain.

Lightening flashed then, sending patterns of light and shadow upon the clearing. Kento was still smiling at Ryo, though the play of light and shadow across his face gave it both a fearing and foreboding look. He whispered in a raspy voice to Ryo, _" I'm… sorry… about all this…" _It was a genuine apology, as though the whole situation had been his fault. He thought that maybe it was. If he hadn't been so callously mean to Sai the nigt they had all come home from Stella's… maybe none of this would've ever happened. Suddenly, guilt seemed like the motivator that called him to action. Shutting his eyes and lifting his head to the heavens, he raised both hands above his head.

When he brought them down, the earth split beneath him. He caught a final glimpse of Ryo, still frantic, still frantically mumbling something Kento wasn't quite able to make out, before the ground gave way, and Kento fell down into the abyss.

As he was falling, he found himself somewhat relieved that the pain from the rain on his open wounds had subsided. He was relieved that Ryo would be safe. But mostly, he was relieved to know that his body's manipulation had ended; that he would no longer be able to unwillingly hurt his friends. With that humble thought in mind, he clapped his hands together. As he did so, the walls of earth surrounding him immediately closed together. And just before the moment that the final impact completely crushed him, he was at peace.

Xxxxxxx

Though the chasms in the ground had closed up and the earth that had been restraining him receded, for about five minutes after Kento had sacrificed himself to the Earth, the ground shook tumultuously. An earthquake the size of which Ryo had never experienced before, shook the land, erratically spilled the rushing waters of the creek along the already sodden ground. When the tremors subsided, Ryo stared at the ground Kento had descended through. It had returned to normal, as though nothing had happened in the first place. He was despondent, transfixed on the spot for awhile motionless. After everything he had been through, Kento had died any way.

The sounds of ambulance sirens were heard in the distance even above the rain. He assumed they had already collected Seiji and that he was currently in transit to Toshiro Hospital in downtown Nerima. That thought, while a relief, did little to ease the grief he felt.

Though there was nothing he could do for Kento, he remained at that spot for awhile, hugging his knees, staring down at the spot Hardrock had fallen through that appeared so normal now. He barely noticed the rain anymore. Though he was chilled to the bone, he didn't shudder.

He merely wept.

Xxxxxx

Author's note: I know, I know, that took forever! It was really hard for me to write a piece like this because it required a lot of dark ideas, and I was at a point in life when everything was…. Well, good. Dean Koontz actually inspired me to finish this chapter and, while imperfect, I think it is a trillion times better then the first two writes I had done.

I hope that you enjoyed, specifically, Seiji's flashbacks. I worked really, really, _really _hard to get them perfect! In any case, this is the halfway point. All of the plot points will be revealed in the next chapter entitled " A Legend Unraveled". Are you as excited as I am? There's only three chapters left, so stand by and please -- read and review! As always, your feedback is what keeps me going.

Also, I swear to Jeebus the next chapter won't take me 7 months to finish. -.-;;

~Ko


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